Prey Drive - Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight is the instinctive behavior of a herbivore to flee or evade capture by a predator. With various types of animals, there are many examples of prey animals that exhibit the fight or flight response or instinct.

In any instance where a prey animal smells, hears, sees or otherwise senses a predator in the vicinity, the prey animal will immediately react. The first reaction seen may only take a split second but may include an alert to other prey animals in the area. The alert may be a sound, a sudden and obvious raising of the head and neck, sudden pricking of the ears, a stomping or striking of the ground with a front foot, a flick of a tail, aka: flagging, or even a bounding leap away from the predator in pursuit and other prey animals in the area that are vulnerable to attack. These gestures are a means of alerting and even protecting other prey animals in the group or area.

This fight or flight instinct that has been passed down from generation to generation of prey animals and is also a learned skill. Fight or flight is an instinct when, (for example an orphan) an animal recognizes a predator without training from its parents or other prey animals. Prey animals teach their young about predators, evading predators, hiding from predators and even physically defending themselves from predators. This "fight or flight Instinct" is actually a feeling of anxiety, fear or terror when an unfamiliar or predatorial animal is approaching. The Fight or Flight instinct, tells the prey animal to defend itself or run away. Prey animals exhibiting a "Flight Instinct" or response will run away from a predator and/or run in random directions, kick with the back legs, climb rocks, trees, fences, etc. A prey animal exhibiting the "Fight Instinct" will exhibit signs of self-defense in the form of stomping the ground with front foot, charging the predator, head butting, rearing or even defensive grunts, bugles, roars and other sounds including snorting (making noise by forcing air through the nostrils in a sudden way).

Prey animals are those that most often can be found in a herd or group setting with family members. There is usually one animal in the group that exhibits dominance and one that exhibits leadership. There are some instances when one animal will do both jobs. The dominant animal in some prey animal herds will try to ward off danger by showing dominance to a predator or potential predator, (Fight Instinct). The leader in the prey animal group usually is the decision maker for the herd deciding when and where to eat, when to go to the watering hole, what time of day to get there, when to rest and who will stand guard while the others sleep, (Flight Instinct).