The veterinarian called the petting zoo the best way to relax

According to numerous studies, interaction with animals is one of the most effective methods of maintaining a stable emotional state. Alexandra Lobanova, a veterinarian at the Skazka amusement park, explained in an interview with Izvestia on July 31 why a petting zoo is the best solution to relieve stress after a hard week at work.

"Animal contact is not just entertainment. In many ways, this activity has a therapeutic effect. Firstly, it is important for a person to feel connected to nature. Often, in a series of daily worries, we move away from our beginnings — communication with animals can bring us back to our roots. Secondly, by engaging in interaction with many representatives of the fauna, we engage in physical activity. This, in turn, provokes a decrease in the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases the release of dopamine (the hormone of happiness)," the expert explained.

Our dog business: in the Russian Federation they want to create a unified register of breeders 

How will this help reduce the number of aggressive and stray animals

In addition, when contacting animals, different sensory organs are involved. Touch, sight, and hearing play a key role. Due to the complex effect of enjoyment, we can feel how time literally freezes and leaves the opportunity to enjoy the moment.

"Animals develop empathy in humans. Sometimes it's important for us to feel important in small things, even if it's just an opportunity to feed or pet an animal. Different representatives of the fauna provoke different conditions. For example, watching peacocks helps to get rid of the internal chaos in your head. This is due to the bright plumage of birds — the brain switches to studying the peacock's color for a while, as a result of which all disturbing thoughts fade into the background," Lobanova added.

Interaction with dogs is the most powerful source of hormones of joy. It is dogs that allow you to feel a real connection, because they listen to a person.

Another animal that finds it hard not to be touched is the alpaca. This is where the sense of touch turns on — alpacas have very soft fur. Therefore, with physical contact with her, a person calms down and becomes happier.

"Animals can also transfer into a childish state of carelessness and the ability to enjoy small things. Especially ponies — we all loved riding horses from an early age. In adulthood, this activity awakens the child's emotions — sincere and naive. Ponies are able to create an atmosphere of trust and calm, which makes interaction with them especially valuable for stress relief," Lobanova summed up.

On July 25, Vladimir Golubev, President of the Russian Cynological Federation, told Izvestia why a dog can behave aggressively. According to him, in most cases, the dog bites the owner for specific reasons that are important to understand and eliminate.