Nature provides the anecdotal tales of animals involved in substance abuse. More and more evidence is present today that show us that animals enjoy the ‘high’ as much as the next guy!
So yeah, animals are no different than us Homo sapiens when it comes to getting high. You don’t believe me?
Here’s a list of 5 animals who are natural junkies themselves:
1. Bird Spa
Ever heard of Bird Spa? Quite suggestive from the name, it is birds’ way of taking a spa! Many species of birds do Anting wherein they rub ants all over their body. This makes ants safe for consumption by the birds as it releases acids to get rid of critters like mites and ticks. Also, this has a pleasingly stimulating effect and hence the high.
2. Dolphins get high on Pufferfish
Another compelling example of this is Dolphins getting high on pufferfish toxin. These bottlenose creatures chew on pufferfish gently and pass on to another dolphin and enter what it seems to be a trance like state.
These marine mammals make the pufferfish release exactly the right amount of neurotoxin which has the narcotic effect on dolphins making them look tranquil and dazed.
Read More: New York Uses Brilliant Method To Use Stray Animals For Public Benefit
3. Horses act crazy when high on Locoweed
Horses acting crazy when they get high on Locoweed, a highly toxic plant. This habit starts innocently enough as they have nothing else to feed on during cold weather. But it’s already too late to do anything about their hardcore addiction.
Imagine a horse aimlessly waddling with no coordination, excessively salivation and unclear vision. So take solace in the fact that at least you look better when high (No? Well then probably it cannot get any worse than that).
4. Sheep rely on lichen for intoxication
Bighorn Sheep suck rocks for lichens, narcotic lichen to be specific. Lichens grow in inhospitable part of rocks and takes thousand of years to grow. Despite the fact that its difficult to reach these rocks and lichens have nominal or no nutritional value, sheep risk their life to fulfil their intoxication demands.
5. Reindeers’ love for mushroom
’The cycle of piss’ makes the another gripping example of nature intoxication. Reindeers love mushrooms, Amanita muscaria and get high on them. Like wild herbivores, they have the capacity to feed on wild plants and not get sick. So the hallucinogenic species of mushrooms which are toxic to humans are not toxic to reindeers. Reindeers enjoyed their intoxication this way.
The pragmatic native shamans noticed this and started collecting reindeer urine and drinking it to get high. But the piss train continued when reindeers discovered that they could get the same high off of human urine. Hence, called the cycle of piss. Psychedelic mushrooms cannot be metabolised by the body and are excreted out with the urine and the reason for the same tripping effect as you’ve eaten the mushroom itself.
Gladly, this human-reindeer urine exchange is less common these days.
And you thought, it is only you who needs a ‘high’ to take a break from your responsibilities?
Well, now you know you aren’t alone!
You’d also like to read:
http://edtimes.in/2016/07/7-hilarious-things-notice-rajiv-chowk-juggernaut-metro-station-delhi-metro%E2%80%A8/
