09 November 2008

Lemmings behavior faked for Disney film


The Disney White Wilderness documentary purportedly showed lemmings leaping off cliffs into the ocean. In fact, according to Snopes, the film was made in Alberta Canada where there is no ocean, and where lemmings are not native. The animals were transported to a cliff overlooking a river and herded into the water. This 1958 film is one of the reasons for the widespread misconception that lemmings commit suicide (it's unknown whether the Disney staff knew of the filmmakers' shenanigans). Ironically, White Wilderness won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. (Video found posted here).

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