Animals

We can’t stop watching this video of fainting goats (and we even learned something!)

This video has just gone wildly viral on Reddit and it’s superficially very funny and also a fascinating insight into the anatomy of this particular type of goat.

Not only that, we can’t stop watching it.

‘Goats faint near UPS truck in hopes of getting compensation from “vehicle collision” settlement,’ said DimitriTooProBro.

And here’s what people said about it (natural history lesson, incoming).

‘That driver must’ve freaked out (if he didn’t know goat just faint like that) … I would’ve thought some electrocution of some kind lol.’
undefeatble

‘OMG me too!!! I would have thought “I just killed them!!!”
Motor_Relation_5459

‘rubs litigious hooves together.’
baetovenbeats

‘Those are Tennessee Fainting Goats, they experience syncope when they are startled or stressed.’
Difficult_Key_5936

‘Its actually not syncope, it’s way more terrifying. According to the Natural History Museum

‘The Tennessee fainting goat breed has a hereditary condition called myotonia congenita, a disorder that affects the skeletal muscles, which are used for movement. When the muscles are voluntarily contracted, such as in the act of running away from a potential threat, the relaxation of the muscle can be delayed. This leaves the muscles rigid and renders the animal unable to move.

‘While in their rigid state, the goats are practically helpless. In 1930, geneticist Jay L Lush wrote, ‘While in this condition they can be pushed or turned over as if they were carved out of a single piece of wood.’

‘The muscle stiffness doesn’t last long, only about 5-20 seconds. There’s no long-lasting harm from the faint, unless it is from a height, but goats are susceptible to stress if they are frightened.

‘They’re still conscious, they just can’t move. Personally that sounds horrible, you get scared and suddenly you can’t move a muscle to get away from the scary thing so you just wait for death. After a minute you get up and go about your day. No wonder goats scream.’
Rapunzel10

So now we know. Hope they didn’t feel too gruff in the morning.

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Comeback of the day

Source Reddit u/DimitriTooProBro