Among lions, pacifism and serenity are held in a hormone, oxytocin. This is demonstrated by Jessica Burkhart, who has been studying its effects on felines for years. Neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota in the United States, she conducts her research at the Lion Center, which works with several reserves in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, to study the brains of big cats, and specifically lions. , the only felines to live in a group, unlike the others, generally solitary cheetahs, leopards, or cats. Why is it important for the study? Because the goal is to observe social behavior – distance, threat, aggressiveness, or conversely cooperation, closeness, affection – to try to understand what triggers these attitudes.
#Oxytocin nasal spray makes #lions more friendly to strangers, which researchers hope will translate into more successful wildlife relocations and promote social bonding.
Learn more in @iScience_CP: https://t.co/JP4dV5KB4w@UMNLionCenter Jessica Burkhart pic.twitter.com/5czvUxPFfp
— Cell Press (@CellPressNews) March 30, 2022
However, what the work of Jessica Burkhart demonstrates is that everything happens in the brain, in the action of dopamine and oxytocin. For two years, she studied 23 lions in Dinokeng Park in South Africa, wild animals accustomed to human presence, by depositing a little oxytocin on their truffles, a hormone that mammals naturally release in moments of complicity, affection, hence its nickname of love hormone. “What we observedshe told AFP, is that the distance between the lions has decreased from seven meters usually to 3.50 meters with the hormone.“
This video shows biologist Jessica Burkhart administering oxytocin intranasally to a lion named Lumbumbashi. Video courtesy of Jessica Burkhart pic.twitter.com/ASBoDIwNeU
— David Chambers (@daveincapetown) March 30, 2022
Another surprising consequence, the lions no longer roared when the researcher played recordings of other males roaring, they remained calm, serene, peaceful. The study was just published on Wednesday in the journal iScience, and we could say that this is it, we have found what needs to be broadcast during Ukraine-Russia diplomatic meetings, or on the front lines, or in the front rows of certain political meetings, or even under the Will Smith’s nose at Oscar parties. Except that, in humans, the hormone does not have the same effects.
In our brain,whether oxytocin causes positive feelings between people who are already closewarns Jessica Burkhart, it can also increase tensions between rivals.” Hence the fact that this study on lions is especially useful… for lions. For example, to consider another method than sedative syringes fired from a gun on big cats when they need to be treated or transported.