![]() In doing so, they often cross a body of moving water (like a river), and several of them – (the ones who were too arrogant to wear life vests) will drown. This myth is partly based on the fact that every three or four years, a slice of lemmings (no…really! That’s what a group of lemmings is called!) will get so big that they’ll head out and try to migrate elsewhere, where there’s more room, and they assume that their property taxes will be lower. However, the most persistent myth about lemmings is that when their population becomes unsustainably great, they commit mass suicide by following each other off of tall seaside cliffs. They migrate in large herds, and during their migratory season they appear suddenly, en masse, seemingly out of nowhere. They are usually around 6 inches in length, with a cute stubby tail, soft fur, and the appealing little face that is characteristic of some of our most cherished herbivores (like the Easter bunny). As you might know, lemmings are adorable little rodents that are typically found in or near the Arctic tundra. Disney should not only set the record straight about the fact that lemmings do not commit mass suicide, but the multi-billion dollar corporation must also apologize for its actions in the 1950s documentary and immediately donate funds to create Arctic refuges for lemmings and other cold-habitat mammals.There is a myth with which we’re all familiar. It is time Disney make up for its disgusting actions of the 1950s and protect against the actual risks faced by lemmings today.ĭisney has made money off of portrayals of animals for decades – and it is time it takes responsibility for the myth they perpetrated. Their tundra habitats are at great risk as the planet continues to warm and governments fail to take meaningful steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But these adorable, short-tailed voles are threatened by climate change like so many other arctic mammals. Mass suicide is not a risk for lemmings – population booms and reductions that are natural for the species are likely what began the lesser known myth that Disney made utterly widespread and enduring. In reality, lemmings do no such thing, despite the myth that has persisted for half a century. Using its grotesque movie magic, Disney was able to make it look as though hundreds of lemmings were intentionally jumping from a cliff and plummeting into icy water where they would slowly drown. But Disney's White Wilderness wasn't filmed anywhere near lemming territory – the animals depicted were actually taken from Manitoba to Alberta, where the entire scene of a horrific "mass suicide" was staged. They weigh, on average, about an ounce, and many are found in Alaska and northern Canada. ![]() Lemmings are adorable rodents that thrive in the tundra and open grasslands ecosystems. ![]() Sign the petition now to tell Disney to take responsibility, set the record straight, and invest in the future of the lemming! ![]() It is time the company lay this myth to rest and do its part to make up for the smearing of lemmings' legacy! But the phrase has nothing to do with actual lemming behavior, and became widely used/circulated after a dangerous and fabricated 1950s nature documentary, White Wilderness, in which Disney intentionally threw dozens of lemmings off a cliff to fit the narrative of their film. Ever heard the phrase "don't be a lemming?" Referencing the tiny, hamster-like rodent, it generally means to not follow the crowd, and make decisions for yourself.
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