Lions have long been known as the "King of the Jungle", because of their strength, power, and fierceness. Researchers working on a wildlife reserve in Dinokeng, South Africa, however, discovered that an intranasal administration of oxytocin, the "love hormone" might make lion encounters less dangerous. Their findings were published in the journal iScience on March 30.
The author, Jessica Burkhart, said that by spraying the oxytocin up the lion's nose, it can travel to the trigeminal and olfactory nerves straight to the brain. Burkhart and her colleagues found that the 23 lions administered oxytocin were more tolerant of other lions in their habitat and demonstrated less alertness towards intruders after these treatments. This gives some people look hope that through Science, they might finally be able to pet lions in the future.
Image credit: Jessica Burkhart
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