Do Animals Like Human Blood? Exploring Their Fascination

Do animals have a preference for human blood? Studies have found that the scent of blood can be alluring to large mammalian apex predators like tigers (Nilsson et al., 2014) and wolves (Arshamian et al., 2017). On the contrary, it tends to repel mammalian prey species such as mice (Sandnabba, 1997; Lahger and Laska, 2018) and rats (Stevens and Saplikoski, 1973; Hornbuckle and Beal, [add missing information, e.g., publication date]). This intriguing phenomenon sheds light on the complex relationship between animals and the smell of blood.

The similarity between pig blood and human blood has sparked interest in the potential use of pig blood for medical transfusions. This similarity arises because, in general, the blood of mammals, excluding camels due to their nucleated red blood cells, shares substantial commonalities with human blood. Therefore, pig blood stands out as a promising candidate among non-human blood types for potential medical applications. This suggests that, in the future, pig blood could play a significant role in transfusion medicine, offering an alternative source of blood for therapeutic purposes (as of May 15, 2019).

Is the presence of blood alarming to animals? The response to blood varies among different species, with some animals becoming intensely hungry upon detecting it, while others react with repulsion and fear. Recent research indicates that this diverse reaction is not solely due to the blood itself but is primarily triggered by a specific molecule known as E2D, which appears to elicit these primal responses in mammals. This discovery sheds light on the complex reactions animals have towards blood and may help us better understand their behavior and instincts. (Published on October 24, 2017)