✗ The myth everyone repeats
Lemmings periodically commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs when their population becomes too large.
✓ What is actually true
This myth originated from a 1958 Disney documentary that staged false footage. Lemmings do migrate when populations exceed local food supply, and some die during migration due to accidents, predation, and starvation, not intentional suicide. The mass fatalities are tragic but result from survival desperation during migration, not a deliberate suicidal behaviour.
Reception
The receipts 2 sources
- Snopes: Lemming SuicideREFERENCE
- BBC: The Truth About LemmingsREFERENCE