Welcome to a whirlwind tour of the ten intoxicating ways creatures across the globe indulge in nature’s own cocktail of chemicals. From fermented fruit that makes deer wobble to puffer‑fish poison that sends dolphins into a trance, the animal kingdom is full of surprising substance‑seeking habits.
10 Alcohol
Fermentation is the simplest chemistry trick on Earth: let fruit sit, invite a stray yeast, and watch sugars turn into alcohol. That same process likely birthed humanity’s first buzz, yet we’re far from the only species to stumble into the tip‑top of the booze ladder.
Legends often claim elephants get plastered on fallen, over‑ripe fruit, but reality shows they actually favor fruit still hanging from the branch. In contrast, deer, elk, monkeys, and even pigs have been spotted stumbling after chomping on naturally fermented berries. Birds, too, will opportunistically peck at fermented berries, though they’re not actively hunting the alcohol.
Fruit flies have become a favorite model for studying intoxication. In a 2012 experiment, researchers offered male flies two juice stations—one spiked with ethanol, the other plain. Mated males showed no preference, but bachelors gravitated to the boozy option, apparently drinking away their loneliness.
9 Birds with Cigarettes
Urban litter, especially discarded cigarette butts, presents an unexpected building material for city‑dwelling birds. Across continents, clever avians collect these nicotine‑laden sticks and weave them into their nests, prompting scientists to ask—what’s the payoff?
A 2012 study revealed nests infused with cigarette butts harbored fewer parasites. Nicotine, the same addictive stimulant that drives humans, is a potent insecticide. By embedding nicotine‑rich butts, birds create a chemical shield that wards off parasites that could otherwise decimate their hatchlings.
Unfortunately, the nicotine shield comes with a dark side: chicks raised in butt‑laden nests exhibit a higher incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, underscoring that even nature’s clever hacks can have unintended consequences.
8 Anting
Ornithologists have long puzzled over a quirky ritual called “anting.” In this behavior, a bird plucks an ant, often a formic‑acid‑producing species, and rubs it across its plumage. The act is documented across a wide array of bird families.
One leading hypothesis suggests the bird is neutralizing the ant’s defensive chemicals—especially formic acid—by smearing it onto its feathers. This renders the ant palatable, allowing the bird to consume it without the usual bitter aftertaste. Simultaneously, the dispersed acid may act as a natural parasite deterrent, keeping feather‑dwelling pests at bay.
Another, more whimsical theory proposes that anting is downright addictive. After the ritual, many birds display a blissed‑out demeanor: they flutter their wings, open their beaks wide, and sometimes even perform a little dance, as if they’re high on ant‑derived euphoria.
7 Dolphin’s Puff Puffer Fish
Dolphins are famed for their intelligence and complex social lives, but teenage pods have a secret pastime that rivals any human party trick. Young dolphins have been caught on video gently grasping puffer fish and passing the toxic morsels among themselves.
Puffer fish possess a formidable neurotoxin in their flesh—tetrodotoxin—that can be lethal to most predators. Yet the dolphins handle the fish delicately, never chewing, and allow the toxin to seep in slowly.
After ingesting just a pinch of the toxin, the dolphins enter a trance‑like state, hovering motionless just beneath the water’s surface, seemingly “getting high” on the puffer’s potent chemistry.
6 Wallabies on Opium
Australia is a global powerhouse for legally cultivated opium poppies, producing nearly half of the world’s supply. Unsurprisingly, the abundant fields have attracted some unexpected connoisseurs.
In Tasmania’s state‑run opium farms, Bennett’s wallabies have been observed nosing into the rows, feasting on the poppy buds until they can no longer hop in a straight line. Farmers often discover strange circles of wilted, bent‑over plants—signs not of extraterrestrials, but of wallabies that have partied a little too hard.
Sheep aren’t immune either; reports indicate they, too, have made daring raids on opium fields, joining the marsupial high‑seekers in a bizarre agricultural showdown.
5 Cats and Catnip
Not every drug works across species, but catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a perfect example of a plant that turns domestic felines into ecstatic performers. While humans might find the herb mildly fragrant, cats experience a full‑blown sensory overload.
When catnip hits a cat’s nose, they roll, rub, meow loudly, and even produce a frothy “beard” of saliva. Their pupils dilate dramatically, mimicking the look of a stoned teenager. After roughly ten minutes, the high fades, leaving the cat temporarily desensitized for about thirty minutes before they’re ready for another round.
The active compound, nepetalactone, is a volatile oil that stimulates the hypothalamus, producing the euphoric response. This effect isn’t limited to house cats; leopards, lynxes, and other big cats also react similarly, yet the herb remains harmless, allowing felines to indulge repeatedly without lasting damage.
4 Jaguars on Yage
Banisteriopsis caapi, commonly called Yage, is a vine central to the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca used by Amazonian shamans. Intriguingly, jaguars appear to have sparked human curiosity about this potent plant.
Jaguars chew on Yage leaves and roots, then engage in playful rolling and toy‑like behavior on the forest floor, acting as if they’re under a psychedelic spell. Indigenous peoples, observing this odd conduct, adopted the vine for their own spiritual rituals, believing the jaguar’s behavior signaled its sacred power.
Beyond the mind‑altering effects, Yage may serve a practical purpose for the big cats: its compounds can induce vomiting and diarrhea, helping purge intestinal parasites—a dual benefit of both a trip and a health tonic.
3 Locoweed
Locoweed, nicknamed “Crazy Weed,” is a group of plants notorious for causing a condition called Locoism in grazing animals. Affected creatures wander aimlessly, display extreme lethargy, and drool excessively—a cocktail of symptoms that feels far from pleasant.
Horses are especially drawn to Locoweed because it’s surprisingly nutritious. Once they’ve sampled it, they become repeat consumers, even though two weeks of continuous grazing can trigger depression, weight loss, impaired movement, and loss of balance.
Locoweed isn’t exclusive to horses; sheep and cattle can also fall victim, prompting U.S. farmers to learn identification and management strategies to keep their herds safe from this deceptive herb.
2 Reindeer and Mushrooms
The iconic red‑capped, white‑spotted Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) is infamous for its toxicity to humans—just fifteen caps can be lethal. Still, the mushroom contains muscimol, a psychoactive compound that induces vivid hallucinations.
Reindeer, however, not only tolerate the toxin but relish it. Consuming Fly Agaric leads them to loll, emit strange bellowing calls, and behave erratically—clear signs they’re enjoying a natural high without suffering poisoning.
This symbiosis benefits human shamans, too. When reindeer digest the mushroom, they metabolize the lethal toxins and excrete the hallucinogenic muscimol in their urine, providing a safer, pre‑processed source for ritualistic trips.
1 Millipedes
Madagascar’s black lemurs have discovered a clever trick: they capture large millipedes, bite them, and force the arthropods to release a cocktail of foul‑smelling chemicals. The lemurs then smear this secretion across their fur, creating an insect‑repellent armor that keeps parasites at bay.
While the primary goal is protection, the lemurs appear to get a buzz from the experience, drooling, rocking back and forth, and rubbing themselves in a visibly “high” manner. Across the ocean in Venezuela, capuchin monkeys employ the same millipede secretions for insect defense, occasionally swapping smelly coats with tribe members when supplies run low—turning the practice into a communal party trick.