Do animals self medicate?
It’s not just humans that seek out drugs to relieve a stomach ache, get rid of a headache or treat skin conditions – animals do it too.
The theory of self-medicating animals, known as zoopharmacognosy, has been spotted in macaws in Brazil, elephants in Kenya and even dogs and cats in the UK and US.
There is even a four-step process to help researchers determine whether an animal is self-medicating, or simply hungry.
So why aren’t these animals being arrested — or at least “treated”?
Comments
2 responses to “Natural crime?”
Yes. I have seen evidence that animals self-medicate. On the Manú River, headwater to the Amazon, I watched flocks of colorful birds, probably macaws, eating muddy clay off the steep riverbanks. There was no apparent organic matter there, just muck. Our guide made it it sound like they had been guided there by the great spirit, Whatchamacatl, but I suspected that was just an urban myth. They probably had tummy-aches.
Geeze, it’s been a year or perhaps two I think, since last I looked in here, and youse guys are still grousing about pot.
And people say Libertarians never talk about anything but drugs.