Helping Out with Animals Can Help You, Too
The Return of Wolves Improved Life for Every Animal in Yellowstone
Does it seem strange that the best thing to ever happen to the elk at Yellowstone was a pack of hungry wolves? It's true, though, and the health of the elk—and the entire animal population, for that matter—is only a small part of the picture. Ever since rangers reintroduced wolves to Yellowstone in 1995, the park has changed in ways that very few predicted.
The Butterfly—Er, Wolf Effect
In January, 1995, a truck carrying eight grey wolves drove into Yellowstone. That little family, which came from Jasper National Park in Alberta, was a sign of evolving views about what exactly made an ecosystem healthy. See, back in the late 1800s, the U.S. government sent geologist Ferdinand Hayden on an expedition into the area that would become the park. But back then, westerners had a distinctly unsympathetic view towards wolves. So the expedition did some pretty substantial damage to the wolf population, and as the years went by, the wolf population only dwindled more and more. By 1920, Yellowstone had no more wolves left, and the people responsible rejoiced. Finally, the elk and the other grazers could flourish! That was the plan, anyway.
And actually, that is what happened—for a little while, at least. Without wolves to keep them in check, the elk population exploded. Unfortunately, there are only so many elk the park can maintain. They decimated the bark and leaves of aspen and willow trees, leaving the poor ungulates to rely on young shrubs and sprouts instead, thereby cutting down those trees before they could reach full size. Without those trees, the beavers suffered, and their population began to fall as well. Without the beavers, the landscape itself transformed as the lack of dams changed the shape of the rivers. Furthermore, without the leftovers that the wolves left behind, scavengers such as eagles, coyotes, and wolverines languished as well. And on top of it all, the elk started to suffer. After all, an unhealthy ecosystem isn't kind to any of its members.
The Wolves Bounce Back
So after two decades, how did just eight wolves undo all that damage? Pretty effectively, as a matter of fact. Today, the park is home to roughly 100 wolves, divided into about 10 different packs. Because the wolves hunted the elk and drove them from the growing copses of trees, the aspen and willow began to return. Gradually, the ecosystem returned to a state of equilibrium.
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But it wasn't all a walk in the park. Not everyone has been on board with the wolves' return, least of all the ranchers who live in the area surrounding Yellowstone. December 2012 saw perhaps the biggest setback the wolves have faced since returning when the wolf known as "06 Female" was shot and killed outside of the park by an unknown hunter. The wolf was the dominant member of her pack, and was beloved by rangers and tourists alike for her incredible intelligence and powerful build. The overall story has been one of triumph and success, and it has given us a greater understanding of exactly how delicate the balance of nature is.
Temple Grandin Used Her Struggles To Help Animals
As a person with autism, Temple Grandin experiences daily struggles that include an extreme sensitivity to noise and environmental change. This, she says, gives her unique insight into the minds of cattle and other animals. That quality helped her revolutionize the entire livestock industry by designing more humane methods for handling and slaughter. For example, Grandin redesigned livestock-handling facilities from ones based on how people want cattle to move into ones that mimic the way cattle naturally want to move. She also invented the diagonal livestock pen, which keep cattle from bunching into corners the way they do in a square pen or congregating in the center as in a round pen.
But the livestock industry also made a difference in Grandin's own life. On her aunt's Arizona ranch, handlers used a "squeeze box" that applied gentle pressure to calm the animals. Grandin adapted this concept to create the Hug Box, a device that applies gentle pressure to calm and de-stress people, especially those with autism. She invented the groundbreaking device when she was only 18 years old. Today, Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a vocal advocate for people with autism.
Dogs Prefer Praise to Treats
Whether it's treats, praise, or belly rubs, most dog owners would probably say they know the best way to motivate their dog to behave. Scientists put that to a test for a 2016 study in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience that looked at what happened in dogs' brains when they were praised versus when they got food rewards. The researchers put 15 dogs in an fMRI device designed to scan the brain for areas of increased blood flow, then began their experiment. They presented each dog with a toy car and then had their owners praise them. In other tests, the dogs saw a toy horse and then received a juicy piece of hot dog. In 13 of the 15 dogs, activity in the brain's reward center during praise was equal or greater than activity when they received the food treat. To test how reliable the brain scans had been, a subsequent experiment had the dogs run down a Y-shaped maze that had their owner on one side and a bowl of treats on the other. Sure enough, the dogs that preferred their owners' praise were more likely to head toward their owner, whereas the few dogs that preferred the treat consistently chose the food. Though these kinds of tests might have obvious results for everyday dog owners, they could mean big things for service dogs. Jobs that involve close human contact might be better for those who show a preference for praise, while more independent jobs such as search and rescue might be best for dogs motivated by treats.
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Helping Out with Animals Can Help You, Too
It might not be too surprising that it's even better when the recipient of your good deeds has an adorable lil' fuzz-face. Volunteering with animals isn't just good for the community. It's also good for your health.
Volunteering Fur Your Health
Doing work for the greater good is a proven way to make you feel happier and more fulfilled. And if you love animals, then what better way to reap those benefits than by volunteering at an animal shelter? You'd do things like walk dogs, re-home animals, and care for pets when they need your help the most. But there are more reasons to volunteer with four-legged friends than the good you'll do. Just being around animals can be great for your health, and there's plenty of studies to prove it.
· Don't overlook the most obvious benefits: when you walk a dog, you, well, walk. A 2013 study confirmed the common-sense hypothesis that dog-owners are more active on average than people who don't own a dog. So it makes sense that those same people have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
· In a 2010 study, participants were given either a living turtle, a living rabbit, or a toy version of either. Whether they were petting a fur-ball or a shell-head, the people paired with real animals reported greater anxiety relief than those with stuffed animals.
· In fact, the pet doesn't even have to be fluffy; just the act of caring for an animal is good for your mental health. A 2016 study found that when elderly people were given crickets to look after, they reported lessened feelings of depression after just eight weeks of the study.
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