The Mouse That Refused to Leave

[00:00:00]A tiny mouse falls silent.

[00:00:02]Beneath an old oak leaf at the foot of an ancient tree, its little heart grows quiet.

[00:00:08]But the forest does not.

[00:00:11]Another mouse comes running.

[00:00:13]It does not hide. It does not flee. It nudges its friend.

[00:00:17]>> [music] >> It cleans its fur.

[00:00:19]It stays close as though it knows that leaving is not an option.

[00:00:24]Then it does something unexpected.

[00:00:26]It paws at the tiny [music] face. It pushes. It pulls.

[00:00:31]As if refusing to let that little life slip away. [music] When scientists watched this behavior, they found that mice sometimes try to help an unconscious companion.

[00:00:41]>> [music] >> They may even clear the other's mouth before continuing their rescue.

[00:00:45]No one [music] taught them. No one trained them.

[00:00:48]And they are far more likely to do it for a familiar friend. Scientists still debate what to call this strange instinct. Whether it is true CPR or something much older.

[00:01:01]But perhaps kindness [music] did not begin with us. Perhaps it was already hiding beneath the leaves in a world so small that we almost never stop to look.