Trivia

Hard

Deer In The Czech Republic Have Migration Patterns Guided By Memories Of?

The Iron Curtain
Abandoned Logging Roads
Fault Lines
Medieval Trade Routes
A section of the old Iron Curtain border fortification near Cizov (Horni Breckov) in the Czech Republic.
Cuchulainn/Wikimedia

Answer: The Iron Curtain

Researchers tracking the movement of red deer in the Czech Republic discovered something rather curious. Despite the physical ability to travel freely wherever they wished, the deer’s travel routes never crossed the border between the Czech Republic and Germany.

The deer have no political motivation in avoiding international travel, but instead are obeying what amounts to a set of rules passed down, generationally, from doe to fawn. During the Cold War, the entire border between the Czech Republic and West Germany was fenced off with parallel electrified fences and patrolled by armed guards. Crossing the border was a death sentence for the deer and they learned to avoid the entire length of it.

Young red deer spend roughly a year with their mother after birth and it turns out that red deer mothers have, for generations now, been teaching their young to avoid the border. At this point, they could easily cross the border without worry, but the habit is ingrained and although the deer can’t communicate why the area is dangerous to each other, they learn by behavior and avoid it for the rest of their lives—passing the border avoidance on to their offspring.

More Trivia Questions

Trivia

Hard

8-bit Music Compositions, Popularized By Video Games, Are Called What?

Trivia

Hard

Actress Angelina Jolie Has A Species Of What Creature Named After Her?

Trivia

Hard

In 1984 The U.S. Experienced The First Death Caused By What?

Trivia

Easy

What Was The First Console Video Game To Save A Player’s Progress?

Trivia

Hard

Which Cartoon Was The Last To Be Animated With Cells?

Trivia

Hard

Which Animals Form The Largest Colonies?

Trivia

Hard

Who Was The Only U.S. President To Hold A Patent?

Trivia

Hard

Switzerland Has A Political Party Dedicated To The Elimination Of What?

Trivia

Hard

Which Of These Email Services’ Names Includes A Hidden Nod To The Way You Access It?

Trivia

Hard

Video Games Frequently Use Which Of These Techniques To Create The Illusion Of 3D Space?