Double tunnel terrified my piggies!

[KGLeslie]

I bought our two girls a Kavee "double tunnel" as a treat. They LOVE tunnels. No matter what they're doing, the moment a tunnel is added they immediately run through it.

I thought the double tunnel (pic off site attached) would be a fun present for them. They have a single one made of the same material with same pattern. But the moment I put it in their enclosure, our most confident piggie absolutely freaked out and ran from it like her life depended on it. I've never seen her cower before like that!

I thought it maybe smelled from transit so washed it in the usual non-bio I use for their fleece. I held her near it and again she turned and buried herself into my shoulder, properly terrified to get away.

The other piggies, who is more docile and less confident just sniffed at it non-plussed.

So why is my most brave girl so scared of this thing?!

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

It doesn't look dangerous but sometimes piggies take some time to get used to new things. I would also have guessed that it could be the smell.
I would give her a little time before trying it again. Maybe there is still some smell there that will get less with a bit of time.
I sometimes let my piggies investigate new things during free roaming and only put it in their enclosure when they have inspected it there.