Unlocking Nature’s Secrets: What Happened When Scientists Released Caged Mice Into the Wild?

Researchers from Cornell University have made an intriguing discovery about laboratory mice and anxiety. They found that when these mice were temporarily placed in a natural outdoor environment, their anxiety levels dropped significantly within just one week. This might suggest that ‘rewilding’ can actually help prevent the development of anxiety in lab settings.

Matthew Zipple, a biologist involved in the study, explains, “Being in a natural setting not only stops the initial fear response from forming but can also reset an already developed anxiety.”

In traditional lab settings, researchers often use tools like the elevated plus maze (EPM) to assess anxiety. The maze has two arms: one is enclosed and safer, while the other is open and exposes the mice to potential threats. Typically, mice prefer the enclosed space, a behavior that indicates anxiety.

In this new research, 44 mice were released into a spacious outdoor area where they could explore, climb, and burrow freely. When they returned to the EPM, they behaved as if they had never encountered it before, exploring both the safe and open areas equally. This result was consistent across the mice, whether they were bred in captivity or not.

This raises important questions about anxiety’s roots. It suggests that an environment with varied experiences can help us—and perhaps even mice—better manage fear. Neurobiologist Michael Sheehan commented, “If you encounter a range of experiences daily, you can better gauge what’s actually threatening. But limited experiences can trigger anxiety when facing new situations.”

This idea may resonate with many. Life experiences shape how we respond to challenges, and too much shelter might heighten anxiety. A shift in how we study anxiety could lead to deeper insights into its causes, suggesting that our surroundings might play a bigger role than previously thought.

The findings call for a re-evaluation of anxiety in lab animals and how it may reflect human experiences. This research underscores the potential benefits of exposing both mice and people to diverse experiences, highlighting the importance of learning to confront new situations.

For further details, you can check out the full research in Current Biology.

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