Cannabis has been touted as an effective treatment for a range of indications, but now it seems elephant stress is about to be added to the list.
Keepers at Poland’s Warsaw Zoo are planning to give its elephant population medicinal cannabis after the death of one of their cohort in March left the others in mourning.
Vet Agnieszka Czujkowska said despite medical cannabis being used to treat dogs and horses, it was the first time it had been tried on elephants.
She added: “It’s an attempt to find a new alternative to the existing methods of combating stress, especially pharmaceutical drugs.”
The zoo will monitor the elephants’ hormone levels and behaviour to determine levels of stress. If successful, the initiative could be extended to other animals.
The three African elephants will be given CBD oil through their trunks.
“Contrary to what some would imagine, the elephants won’t be using cannabis pipes nor will they be getting huge barrels of it,” Czujkowska said.
“The female Fryderyka has already had a chance to try it and she didn’t say no.”
