Zoopharmacognosy is the study of self-medication within the animal kingdom which animals have been practicing for millions of years. They self-medicate through learned behaviour that is passed down through the generations, whether they are applying a plant or substance to the body or living space to treat or control microbial disease, or a topical health issue. The term Zoopharmacognosy is made up of greek words which means, Zoo (animal), Pharma (medicine), Cognosy (knowing), this term was coined in 1987. Animals in the wild have the ability to take their health into their own hands and independently heal themselves. Nature provides these animals with what they need to self-heal and rebalance their systems.
On the flip side, animals that live in the same conditions as us, meaning domesticated, they do not have access to everything animals in the wild are blessed with. Animals living along side humans exposes them to non-natural diets and high stress levels, increasing their chances of disease (dis-ease). Fortunately there is a light at the end of this gloomy tunnel, zoopharmacognosy in wild animals helps us to see that a species appropriate diet, low stress levels may not be the only thing that is required of nature’s beings. Wild animals use plants, soil, and minerals within their environment to prevent and treat diseases and ailments. We can take this valuable information and apply it to our domesticated animals diet, life style and having what they need available to them. For example, cat grass in a home environment for our feline family members.
It is interesting to note that humans have been watching animals treat themselves in this natural way since prehistoric times. They would observe which plants animals would select when they were ill. This is most likely how early man was guided to self-medicate in nature. Research and evidence has also shown that this copy cat method is used between different species of animals as well. You know when an animal is self-medicating when they eat a plant that is not part of their regular diet, does not offer much nutritional value, when the selected plant is used when the animal is more prone to illness, like parasites during the rainy seasons, when not all the animals within one group are consuming a particular plant.
It is fascinating to see that animals have this instinct of what they require at certain times and are aware the importance of self-medicating and that nature provides all that they require. Whether it is chimps costuming fibrous leaves to help expel parasites, foxes eating raspberry leaves to help in labour or birds making casts for injuries with clays, it is mind blowing what our fellow earth beings can do. We must offer them blessings of gratitude for what they have revealed to us since the beginning of time.