Everyone has seen movies of zombies like Zombieland, World War Z, and Train to Busan. Would you believe that zombies are real? Well not exactly, there are no “human-turned-zombies” but “ant” zombies do exist.
These ants are infected by lancet liver fluke, a tiny parasitic flatworm. Liver flukes have a complicated, almost insanely conceived life cycle, which begins with the hijacking of the ant’s brain. After observing how the infected ants behaved in relation to temperature, humidity, time of day, light, and other environmental factors. The researchers tagged several hundred infected ants in the Bidstrup Forests near Roskilde, Denmark. It was obvious that ant behaviour varied with temperature. The ants were more likely to be clinging to the top of a blade of grass when it was cold outside. The ants abandoned the grass and crept back down when the temperature climbed.
Numerous parasites enter when the liver fluke infects the ant’s body. However, only one gets to the brain, where it might affect how the ant behaves. The belly of the ant houses the remaining liver flukes. These liver flukes are protected by a pod, which they are enclosed in, that shields them from the stomach acid of the subsequent host while the liver fluke in charge of the ant dies. According to Brian Lund Fredensborg, "It gives itself up for the sake of the others"
Of course, you will say that these puny ants cannot be harmful; we can just snuff out their life in a blink, but there are estimated to be about 2.5 million ants for every human on Earth, which amounts to 20 quadrillion ants in total. We must also consider that some ants may carry up to 10–50 times their own weight, similar to a 90-kilogram person carrying an adult cow, and to make things worse, their level of teamwork cannot be achieved without setting aside our petty differences. Just imagine our pride as humans if we were to be overpowered by creatures that can be crushed underfoot, maybe they will outlive us and in the future, they will be the ones dominating the Earth.
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