Far be it from us to promote or condone anything illicit, but 10 shocking unconventional ways of chasing a buzz have been documented across the planet. From clever cetaceans to daring soldiers, the quest for altered consciousness knows no species limits. Let’s dive into the most eyebrow‑raising high‑seeking behaviors ever recorded.
10 Shocking Unconventional Highs Overview
10 Dolphins Use Pufferfish to Get High
Scientists have long praised dolphins as one of the most cognitively gifted mammals on Earth—some even argue they rival us in problem‑solving. What’s less known is that certain pods have taken to hunting down pufferfish just to experience a mild intoxication.
Field footage shows juveniles deliberately seeking out these fish, which release a potent neurotoxin when threatened. In controlled doses, the toxin doesn’t kill; instead, it induces a euphoric state. The dolphins have mastered a technique: they give the fish a light chew, prompting it to secrete just enough toxin, then pass the fish to a companion. This cooperative “chewing‑and‑hand‑off” routine lets an entire pod become visibly loopy, even floating their noses upward as a tell‑tale sign of the high.
9 Parrots Get Addicted to Opium and Raid Poppy Farms
Opium cultivation spans continents, with Afghanistan alone boasting roughly 233,000 hectares of poppy fields. In India, where opium is legally produced for medicine, an unexpected problem has emerged: feathered marauders.
Parakeets and related species make repeated trips—up to 30 or 40 daily—to nibble on the pods. Larger birds have been observed snatching whole pods, each yielding 20‑25 grams of raw opium, enough to intoxicate a human, let alone a bird. The avians employ stealthy flight patterns to avoid detection, either destroying the pods for seed or carting them off entirely.
Farmers have tried noise‑makers and firecrackers, yet the birds’ tenacity outmatches these deterrents, turning poppy farms into unintended drug‑laced aviary playgrounds.
8 People Smoke Dead Scorpions to Get High
Human ingenuity (or desperation) can turn almost anything into a psychoactive agent. In parts of Pakistan, street vendors hawk dried scorpions, whose stingers carry a venom that, when smoked, produces a surreal, prolonged high.
The experience lasts roughly ten hours, with the first six dominated by intense pain as the toxin assaults the nervous system. Survivors report the final four hours as a bizarre dance of perception, describing surroundings as if everything were swaying to an invisible rhythm.
Medical reports warn that the venom is exceptionally toxic, fostering addiction, memory loss, delusions, and a host of other neurological dangers.
7 Lemurs Like to Get High on Millipedes
Madagascar’s lemurs, famed for their acrobatic antics, have a lesser‑known pastime: they bite, but do not ingest, crimson millipedes. These arthropods exude a cocktail of toxins—including cyanide—to deter predators.
When lemurs bite the millipedes, they become coated in the toxic slime, which they then spread across their fur. This serves as a natural pesticide, but it also induces a trance‑like state, causing excessive salivation and a noticeable change in behavior akin to a mild high.
6 Wallabies Get High on Opium and Make Crop Circles
In Tasmania, poppy farms cultivated for pharmaceutical opiates have attracted unsuspecting marsupials. Wallabies, drawn to the abundant alkaloids, gorge themselves on the plants, quickly becoming intoxicated.
The resulting stupor manifests as frantic, circular pacing across the fields, effectively carving crop circles that damage the valuable yield. Sheep exhibit similar behavior, spinning in place after ingesting the poppy foliage, suggesting a shared physiological response to the narcotic compounds.
5 Reindeer Herders Get High Drinking Reindeer Pee
In the far‑north, Sami herders have long observed that their reindeer graze on hallucinogenic mushrooms. To tap into the same effect, they consume the urine of these already‑intoxicated animals.
Critics initially dismissed the practice as myth, but firsthand accounts from herders confirm the ritual. The urine acts as a natural filter, stripping the mushrooms of their harshest side‑effects while preserving the psychoactive compounds, delivering a smoother, more palatable high.
4 Smoking Crushed Ants Is Popular with Youth in the United Arab Emirates
Despite the UAE’s strict drug policies, a clandestine trend has taken root among teenagers: crushing black samsun ants and mixing the powder with tobacco. The ants release formic acid when threatened, which, when inhaled, produces a marijuana‑like high accompanied by vivid visual and auditory hallucinations.
The practice carries severe health risks. Formic acid becomes toxic when smoked, potentially causing pulmonary fibrosis, kidney failure, and neurological damage. Surveys suggest up to one‑third of Emirati youth have experimented with ant smoking, and packets can fetch around $100 on the black market.
3 Aussie Dogs Lick Cane Toads to Get High
Australia’s invasive cane toads, numbering over a billion, secrete a toxin that, while not lethal to dogs in small doses, induces a noticeable buzz. Veterinarians confirm that many owners report their pets acting “a little bit crazy” after a lick.
Research shows the behavior is relatively common, with some dogs repeatedly seeking out toads for the hallucinogenic effect. While the high can be entertaining to watch, owners are urged to seek veterinary care promptly, as the toxin can also pose serious health threats.
2 Marmots Destroy Cars to Get at Antifreeze
Antifreeze, notorious for its sweet taste, has lured countless animals, yet few have turned it into a recreational habit. In California’s Sequoia National Park, groups of yellow‑bellied marmots have been spotted under parked cars, gnawing through coolant hoses to access ethylene glycol.
These rodents lap up the fluid, displaying behavior researchers describe as a “high” reminiscent of alcohol intoxication. Since the 1980s, up to 200 marmots have been documented engaging in this activity each summer, damaging dozens of vehicles while apparently tolerating the toxic substance without fatal consequences.
1 Soldiers in Vietnam Would Eat C4 to Get High
The Vietnam War saw extreme improvisation, even in the realm of intoxication. Soldiers discovered that chewing tiny pieces of C4 plastic explosive produced an ethanol‑like buzz, albeit accompanied by severe side effects.
Medical reports detail seizures, dizziness, vomiting, cardiac arrhythmias, rashes, and even coma among those who experimented. While the high was short‑lived, the practice underscores the lengths to which individuals will go to escape the harsh realities of combat.