The disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March 2011 caused a humanitarian disaster and more than 100,000 people had to be evacuated within a 20-kilometer radius of the disaster site. But it was also a disgrace for Fukushima's pets, specifically for the nearly 5,800 dogs registered in the area.
A team of researchers from the University of Azabu (Japan) has analyzed stress levels and cortisol concentrations in dogs rescued after the disaster and compared them with those of dogs abandoned in other areas of Japan. The results, which are published in the journal Scientific Reports , reveal that the levels of cortisol, a hormone indicative of the degree of stress, are five to ten times higher in the Fukushima dogs and, in addition, they persist for much longer after the rescue. The animals also showed less attachment to their keepers and were more difficult to train . Despite this, they were less aggressive towards strangers than dogs abandoned in places outside the nuclear disaster.
The authors of the work affirm, however, that it is not clear if the increase in stress is due to the traumatic experience of the earthquake itself, the longer duration of the rescue, or the sudden disappearance of all humans in the area.
