My love and concern for animals always makes me think about different things about them, sometimes I stare at some pets and I wonder what other way they have to express themselves aside from barking.
We know quite well that, humans express their emotions through various means, like crying, laughing, smiling and different forms of emotions but in animals, we can barely understand what their display of emotions is.
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Certainly, several researchers have been interested in this topic and they have gone through several studies and research to get answers. Gladly, we can read through the results of their hard work to get the answers we desire too.
Animals are said to show characteristic facial expressions, it is called grimace scales in horses, rats, pigs, sheep, cats, and mice. A good example I read about is that changes in the ear position, the amount of visible white eye, and tension in chewing muscles can be an indication of different levels of pain and fear in an animal.
Facial expressions displayed by animals should not be mistaken for the resemblance of humans. Normally, the display of teeth in humans would indicate joy but that is not the same for animals. Other primates may show off their teeth as a sign of distress, or pain.
There are some physiological reaction to emotions that affects both humans and animals, this has to do with changes in the concentration of hormones. In case of a stressful situation, there is often an increase in the adrenaline hormone, which instantly reduces the supply of blood to all the organs that are needed in an emergency.
Other hormones like serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine play an important role in the display of joy, enthusiasm, and social bonding. Animals are also believed to react to their environments just like humans, and this means they would evaluate situations similarly showing signs of stress and anxiousness when there is danger.
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I believe that understanding animal emotions is important as it would boost human-to-animal relationships. It would help us understand them better and attend to their needs even better.
Some research also shows that the way animals behave and feel when they are in the wild is quite different from how they are forced to behave after being captured, and this greatly affects them emotionally.
This research shows that performing elephants can develop PTSD. In the wild, they wouldn't display the acts they are made to display for entertainment purposes like bowing to an audience or carrying the audience on their backs. These acts are not in their natural lifestyle, so training them to become this way requires a cruel and painful method which often leaves the animal traumatized.
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Research also shows that the fun side of seeing dolphins slide in and out of water for tourists' sake, and humans taking selfies with them, would make them beach themselves and this act could be physically and mentally draining for them.
Some people also believe that trying to understand the emotional behavior of animals is a total waste of time, because we may never be right. I however think, understanding animal emotions is important. For instance, I know my pet to an extent, I know how she behaves when she is sad and when she is happy, and that gives me certain clues on treating her better. I would love to know what your opinion is about this topic in the comment section.