Mice can perform CPR-like resuscitation on each other, new study shows

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Scientists have discovered that rodents try to resuscitate one another like humans when they discover their peers to be unconscious.

A series of experiments saw mice trying to revive their companion with mouse-to-mouse resuscitation, as opposed to scurrying away.

The study, published in the journal Science, saw a mouse placed under anaesthesia and rendered temporarily unconscious, while a “bystander” mouse was introduced.

Scientists combined behavioural monitoring with a machine learning-based annotator to show that when mice encountered a familiar social partner knocked out unconscious, they consistently tried to wake them up.

They started by sniffing and grooming and their behaviour escalated to more forceful actions, such as biting the partner’s mouth or tongue and pulling the tongue out to clear the air ways.

In more than half of the cases, the mice pulled on the unconscious mouse’s tongue to enlarge their airway. When the incapacitated rodent had a small plastic ball in its mouth, 80 per cent of the time the companion managed to extract before carrying on its life-saving routine.

Not only was this behaviour effective, but researchers noted just how reminiscent to human first-aid procedures they were.

“These behaviours are reminiscent of how humans are taught to clear the airway of an unconscious individual during CPR,” they noted.

Their behaviours suggested “reviving-like efforts” among the mice.

Scientists noted that these behaviours were “strongly influenced” by how familiar the mice were with one another, but were unlikely to be motivated by a desire for reciprocal social interaction for curiosity about something new.

This isn’t the first time scientists have documented mammals assisting one another; chimpanzees have been seen tending to wounded companions, while dolphins are known to push distressed pod members to the surface to help them breathe.