In the field of animal welfare, the concept of self-selection in animals has gained traction in recent years. This holistic approach focuses on giving animals the ability to choose their own remedies for physical and psychological illnesses. Zoopharmacognosy is the study of animals’ self-medication behaviour and is critical for animals in captivity.
Zoopharmacognosy comes from the Greek words “zoo” (animal), “pharmaco” (drug), and “gnosy” (knowledge). This approach to healing is based on animals’ instinctive behaviour to choose plant materials and derivatives, minerals, and other natural compounds in their natural habitats to improve their health.
The study has also helped researchers to find natural remedies for humans; by watching what minerals and plants animals seek when they’re ill, scientists have been able to add these natural ingredients to human medication, leading to a less synthetic pharmaceutical approach to wellness.
How zoopharmacognosy started
Zoopharmacognosy has ancient roots, but the first scientific research was only conducted in the 1980s. Indigenous healers initially discovered that animals seek treatment from diseases by visiting specific plants or engaging in specific behaviours. This critical knowledge was then passed down through generations, contributing to the evolution of traditional medicinal practices.
However, researchers in the 1980s began observing wild chimpanzees using different parts of plants to medicate themselves. The importance of plants and nutrients in healing is central to zoopharmacognosy. Animals have a natural ability to recognise and select the plant or compound that would cure their illness, they recognise compounds in the natural world that may have medical potentials, mostly through their sense of smell. This innate knowledge has evolved over millions of years and is the reason why animals in the wild continue to survive, prevent and sometimes even treat their own health problems.
How the practice of zoopharmacognosy works
Zoopharmacognosy uses a variety of strategies to allow animals to choose their own treatments.
- Scent recognition – Animals have a highly developed sense of smell, allowing them to recognise and distinguish between different scents. They can detect the precise compounds found in plants and other substances, allowing them to identify those that have medical benefits. This is a hard-wired behaviour rather than a cognitive process, they don’t ‘think’ about what they choose, they just know what they need.
- Self-selection – Animals engage in self-selection by actively seeking out and consuming particular plants or substances. This behaviour can include grazing on certain plants, chewing on specific roots, leaves, bark and soil, or rubbing their bodies against specific natural materials to transfer fragrant molecules to themselves.
- Instinctive knowledge – Animals have an instinctive knowledge of the medicinal qualities of many plants and minerals. This knowledge is profoundly ingrained in their behaviour and passed down through the generations. This innate understanding enables animals to make choices to improve their well-being.
Application of zoopharmacognosy in captive environments
Animals in the wild are able to seek out remedies on their own, but those in captivity do not have the same opportunities. This is why it’s important for organisations like the Captive Animal Enrichment Project (CAEP) to bring plants and minerals into these environments and facilitate self-selection for animals, giving them respect and choice.
Animals can self-medicate to treat bodily illnesses, such as infections, parasites, inflammation, and wounds. They may chew on specific plants with antibacterial or anti-inflammatory characteristics, or they may seek for clay or mineral-rich soils to aid in their detoxification.
However, it’s not just physical ailments that animals can treat instinctively, but also psychological issues. Animals, like people, can develop stress, anxiety, and behavioural disorders. Zoopharmacognosy provides a natural way for animals to treat their psychological problems. Animals can relieve mental imbalances by selecting specific plants or compounds that trigger their inherent impulses.
Zoopharmacognosy is particularly important for animals in captivity that are likely to lack access to natural resources, diverse diets, and opportunities for self-selection. Incorporating zoopharmacognosy ideas into confined animal enrichment programmes allows animals to engage in natural behaviours while also contributing to their general wellbeing.
The benefits of zoopharmacognosy for captive animals
Zoopharmacognosy has various benefits that improve animal welfare. Firstly, our practice is non-invasive, non-prescriptive and totally natural. Unlike traditional medical procedures, zoopharmacognosy facilitates an animals’ natural tendencies. It depends on natural remedies and enables animals to preserve their instincts and regain autonomy.
It’s a holistic approach to animal health that focuses on the physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing of animals. This method strives for holistic healing by addressing different elements of animal health.
Zoopharmacognosy offers unique and insightful ways to improve animal welfare for those living in captivity. It holds particular relevance for the CAEP, as it aligns with our mission to empower captive animals and enhance their wellbeing absolutely naturally. By integrating zoopharmacognosy into animal welfare practices, we can shape an environment in which animals can not just survive but thrive in captivity.
The CAEP needs your support. Let us strive together to create a peaceful cohabitation with animals and a safer, kinder world for every organism. Please contact us today if you’d like to donate or get involved.
References:
