Like humans, animals can also suffer from emotional stress, which might lead to serious outcomes such as death. A strong example of this is the African wild dog; such animals are considered near extinction. Such social animals rely on their pack for physical survival but most importantly for emotional survival. Being separated from its pack, an African wild dog may experience extreme emotional distress, further leading to a condition often referred to as “Broken Heart Syndrome.”
Stress-induced cardiomyopathy is a medical condition wherein the heart muscle is weakened by intense emotional stress. The stress is characterized by excessive secretion of hormones such as adrenaline, which can overpower a heart, hence lessening its capability to pump blood efficiently. Due to this process, the body of the dog begins to receive less oxygen, hence after some time, developing other health complications. If not treated, it could be deadly; emotional stress is indeed as important for the animals to stay away from just like physical health.
While stress-induced cardiomyopathy is by no means unique to African wild dogs, their cases are very rampant because of the depth of their reliance on pack dynamics. Domestic dogs also have similar conditions, but in these others, African wild dogs do, since their social bonds run deep. The death of any pack member and chronic separation can also cause deep grief and psychological trauma to these wild canids. It further weakens immunity to many diseases and different types of injury; in some extreme situations, it kills them. The emotional price of loss or separation may be no less threatening to survival in the physical hazards of predation or injury.
It is from this understanding that the need for conservation to save the African wild dog from extinction was recognized. Conservationists today realize that emotional health is equally as important to treat in these animals as much as physical safety. Most rehabilitation programs today work at sustaining or reestablishing pack cohesion to prevent the type of stress associated with broken heart syndrome. By fostering these attachments, during rescue and rehabilitation, conservationists also have the potential to reduce the emotional stressors that can lead to lethal outcomes.
In the end, the African wild dog’s plight serves as a poignant reminder that animals are deeply emotional beings. Their very survival is inextricably linked to their social bonds, and the emotional pain of separation can be as lethal as any physical threat. By acknowledging such emotional needs and taking appropriate action, we can reinforce the effectiveness of conservation and further the chances of survival for this remarkable species.
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