Feeling blue and don’t know why? You’re not alone. Many people suffer from depression, that dark cloud that saps your energy and will to live. But you don’t have to fight it alone – even animals in the wild battle the black dog of depression.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Animals like giant pandas, polar bears, elephants, spotted hyenas, and northern quolls show symptoms of depression due to isolation, lack of mental stimulation, grief over loss, boredom, or even chemical imbalances in their brains.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at 5 animals that exhibit signs of depression similar to humans. You’ll learn what triggers depressive states in these creatures and how zoologists help them. We’ll also draw parallels with human depression and offer expert tips to boost your mood naturally.
Giant Pandas
Causes of Depression
Giant pandas can suffer from depression for a variety of reasons. One major cause is that giant pandas have difficulty reproducing and have a very low birth rate (only about half of cubs survive past infancy).
The uncertain future of the species as their habitat shrinks can lead individual pandas to become distressed and show signs of depression.
Pandas also spend most of their waking hours alone searching for and eating bamboo. The solitary lifestyle, loneliness, and perceived inability to find a mate have been known to plunge pandas into depressive episodes that are similar to human depression.
Panda Depression Symptoms
Depressed pandas exhibit symptoms like lethargy, irritability, loss of appetite leading to drastic weight loss, and lack of interest in normal panda activities like climbing trees and playing. Depressed giant pandas often hide in corners of their enclosures instead of visible spots.
They are less responsive to zookeeper calls for feeding or interaction. Severely impacted pandas may refrain from movement altogether, not even standing up to drink water or eat – clear danger signs.
Helping Depressed Pandas
To try lifting the spirits of depressed pandas, zookeepers use environmental enrichment techniques. For example, they may introduce new toys and puzzles with hidden fruit/shoot treats to stimulate play and foraging behaviors.
Extra positive social interaction occurs with more frequent training and preensive “petting” body rubs from zookeepers. Allowing the panda to spend time with another panda can provide much-needed companionship.
In some cases, vets may prescribe anti-depressant medications alongside therapy if the depression is clinical. Still, extra TLC from caretakers aims to reassure pandas they are cared for during vulnerable times.
The hope is the pandas realize they can contribute to the future survival of this marvelous species.
Polar Bears
Effects of Climate Change
Polar bears are profoundly affected by the warming climate and melting Arctic sea ice. As sea ice declines due to rising temperatures, polar bears lose their essential habitat for hunting, feeding, and breeding.
According to research by leading scientists, two-thirds of the global polar bear population could be lost by 2050 if climate change continues unabated.
With less sea ice, polar bears are forced to swim longer distances between ice floes and work harder to find food. This leads to poor body condition, lower reproduction rates, and higher mortality. As polar bears spend more time on land instead of on ice, there are more encounters with grizzly bears, leading to mating between the two species and fewer pure-bred polar bears.
Signs of Polar Bear Depression
The loss of sea ice habitat and hunting grounds is profoundly impacting polar bears mentally and physically. Researchers have observed signs of depression and despair in polar bears such as:
- Lethargy and loss of interest in typical activities like hunting
- Lack of motivation to move from resting spots
- Disinterest in socializing or mating
- Self-mutilation and repetitive motions like head swaying
- Increased aggression due to food scarcity
The Svalbard archipelago has the highest incidence of polar bear cannibalism, likely due to nutritional stress and starvation linked to shrinking access to seals because of diminished sea ice.
| 1979-1992 | 1 case per decade |
| 2010-2014 | 3 cases per year |
Enrichment Programs for Polar Bears
Some zoos have developed enrichment programs to stimulate and engage polar bears exhibiting symptoms of psychosis and depression. These can include:
- Feeding puzzles and games to make accessing food more challenging
- Objects with food scents to inspire foraging activity
- Introducing new smells, toys, substrates, and structures to create opportunities for curiosity and exploration
- Training programs for medical exams to minimize stress
Enrichment aims to allow polar bears in captivity to experience species-appropriate behaviors and improve their wellbeing despite their challenging environmental circ*mstances.
Elephants
Social Animals with Complex Emotions
Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals that live in tight-knit family groups led by females called matriarchs. They form deep social bonds and have complex methods of communication like trumpeting, touching with their trunks, even subtle body language (1).
Elephants also have remarkable memories and self-awareness (2).
All of this allows elephants to experience a wide range of emotions. Studies have confirmed they feel joy and grief similar to humans (3). Their strong family ties and emotional depth is part of what makes the trauma of poaching incredibly painful for elephant groups (4).
Grief and Isolation in Elephants
When elephant families experience loss, the remaining elephants often mourn. They may stand vigil over the body, gently touching it with their trunks. Some weep “tears” from their temporal glands. The entire family may return to the bones again and again for many years (5).
The matriarch and other adult females play key support roles for babies and youths as they mature, so losing them causes instability. Orphaned young may be adopted, but many die without that maternal care and guidance.
Male children orphaned early grow up without role models and become isolated; they fail to learn proper social behavior (6).
Treating Depressed Elephants
Some rescue centers aim to help depressed and socially deprived elephants through special care and rehabilitation. For babies orphaned at critical developmental stages, substituting human care can be lifesaving (7). Providing toys and puzzles also stimulates brain activity.
Allowing orphans to socialize and bond prevents harmful isolation (8).
Sanctuaries may incorporate young males into surrogate family groups with mentoring adults. For aging males who spent years in deprived isolation, introducing compatible companions and environmental enrichment improves welfare (9).
With supportive conditions, even longtime captives may heal emotionally and regain normal elephant social functioning (10).
Though elephants face escalating threats, greater understanding of their profound emotional capacities has increased efforts worldwide to protect these amazing, sensitive creatures for future generations (11).
Their resilience shows that with care and compassion, even severe trauma need not leave permanent scars.
References:
- National Geographic – Elephants Are Even Smarter Than We Realized
- PBS Nature – Smart and Sentient: The Depth of Animal Emotion
- BBC – Elephants Exhibit ‘Human’ Emotions
- Save the Elephants – Effects of Poaching
- National Geographic – Elephants Mourn Deaths, Even Many Years Later
- Edgar’s Mission – Orphaned Elephants
- David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust – Orphans Project
- In Defense of Animals
- Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
- Bloomberg – Healing Emotionally Scarred Circus Elephants
- World Animal Protection – Protecting Elephants
Spotted Hyenas
Female Dominated Societies
Spotted hyenas live in complex matriarchal societies led by dominant females. Unlike lions where males rule the pride, female hyenas are larger and more aggressive than males. They dominate the clan and have priority access to food resources. Females are also solely responsible for rearing cubs.
This reversal of typical mammalian social structure makes spotted hyena clans unique among carnivores.
Symptoms of Hyena Depression
As top predators, spotted hyenas face many stressors that can lead to depression. Dominant females must constantly assert their authority over lower ranking clan members. Females also endure a lengthy gestation of 110 days and give birth through an unusually long and narrow birth canal which often results in the death of first-born cubs.
This traumatic birthing process causes high maternal mortality rates. Additionally, hyena clans frequently skirmish over territory and food sources. Persistent anxiety from social conflict and challenging reproductive biology likely contributes to higher rates of depression in female hyenas.
Depressed hyenas may exhibit lethargy, loss of appetite, asocial behavior, and indifference towards cubs. Severely depressed individuals become unable to effectively lead the clan, hunt, or nurse young.
Consequently, depressed matriarchs can threaten the survival of the entire social group if they do not adequately care for cubs.
Improving Hyena Health
While wild hyenas have limited options, providing anti-anxiety enrichment and social stimulation in captivity could benefit depressed individuals. Calming scents, puzzles feeders, and positive human interaction can all help improve mood.
Structuring clan membership to allow appropriate social bonding while avoiding excessive conflict may also promote wellbeing. Additionally, carefully monitoring pregnant females and assisting with difficult births reduces trauma.
With dedicated care focused on their unique needs, female spotted hyenas can live happier lives despite their challenging roles in the clan.
Northern Quolls
The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is a small carnivorous marsupial that lives in northern Australia. As solitary animals, they only come together briefly to mate. Unfortunately, northern quolls are endangered and threatened by invasive species and habitat loss.
Captive breeding programs aim to conserve them, but captivity poses challenges for the solitary quolls. With thoughtful enrichment and habitat design, the lives of these captive marsupials can be improved.
Solitary Marsupials
Northern quolls are solitary creatures that hunt alone across large territories up to 33 acres in size (Bush Heritage). They only spend short periods with others animals when mating. Females give birth to up to 30 tiny babies that they carry around in a pouch (Save the Quolls).
The mothers teach them to hunt before they go off on their own at around 5 months old.
Effects of Captivity on Quolls
Unfortunately, the solitary northern quoll struggles in captivity. Breeding them in captivity is challenging because male northern quolls often kill female partners when enclosed together (Save the Quolls). Being solitary animals by nature, they can find constant human interaction stressful.
Pacing along cage edges, increased aggression, and repetitive grooming behaviors may indicate their distress.
Enriching the Lives of Captive Quolls
To better suit the northern quolls in captivity, conservation centers design customized habitats and enrichment. Large complex enclosures with trees, tunnels, grass tussocks and other natural features allow them to avoid excess interactions (Save the Quolls).
Enrichment like scent trails, puzzle feeders and simulated prey items provide cognitive stimulation. More natural behaviors in captivity, like male northern quolls guarding territory rather than female partners, may support breeding success.
Conclusion
Depression affects countless beings, from humans to hyenas to pandas. Understanding the causes, whether chemical, environmental, or social, is key to improving mental health.
While more research is needed, zoologists now recognize the importance of giving animals freedom, social bonds, and an enriched habitat. These strategies can also help boost human mood and drive away the blues.
With compassion and care, we can all find ways to cope with depression’s heavy burden. Just knowing animals share this struggle makes us feel less alone during dark times.
