Bear Intoxicated from Eating Hallucinogenic Honey
A young female bear was found wandering aimlessly in the Duzce province of Turkey on Thursday. You may think "wandering aimlessly" is a natural state for a bear, but this one appeared to be intoxicated. Wildlife officials captured the bear and took her to a veterinary clinic. There, doctors determined she was not only intoxicated, but tripping. She had been eating honey made by bees that feed on rhododendron flowers. A species of rhododendron that grows only in Turkey's Kaçkar mountains and in the Himalayas produces a hallucinogenic substance called grayanotoxin. A few local beekeepers sell the honey, called deli bal, or "mad honey."
The young bear did not ingest enough of the honey to endanger her life. Wildlife officials say she will be released into the wild when she comes down and is deemed healthy and competent. Meanwhile, they are asking social media to suggest names for the bear. That's enough to make you wish you could read Turkish. -via Fark