Cocaine Bear has nothing to do with Reefer Raccoon or the DQ McFlurry Skunk

Authorities found Andrew Thornton, a cocaine smuggler, dead in a Tennessee yard in September 1985. He was carrying a bag of cocaine, a parachute that wouldn’t open and the key to a small plane found at a crash site about 60 miles away.

The remainder of Mr. Thornton’s inventory, which they believed discarded on his flight path, was the subject of months of investigation. But a black bear first spotted it in the Georgian mountains. Before we could get to it, the bear ripped open the duffel bag, took some cocaine, and overdosed, an official told The Associated Press in December 1985.

The bizarre but authentic tale that served as the basis for the new film, Cocaine Bear, was the product of an extraordinary set of circumstances, according to nature experts across the country. Specialists have seen wild animals drink just about anything else, including fancy house chocolate cakes, hummingbird feed syrup, and even other alcoholic beverages like beer and marijuana.

A skunk with a McFlurry mug on its head was also said to be running around in the parking lot behind a hotel, according to a call received by Jeff Hull, who is an environmental protection officer with the Department of Environmental Conservation in New York. But animals’ appetites for legal and illegal human products can cause problems for both them and us.

AN OVEREIAGGER CONSUMER

When winter approaches and they need to gain weight, bears have been known to steal human food. Black bear and fur-bearer biologist Dave Wattles of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife commented that bears constantly seek out simple, high-calorie items.

Bears’ highly developed sense of smell has taught them that humans are a reliable source of these nutrients. The result is that they tip over trash cans and fall into dumpsters. Not only do they raid backyard chicken coops and grease traps for outdoor grills, they also raid bird feeders, beehives, and pet and animal food.

Even occasional home break-ins. A bear burglar was a recurring target of frozen foods in the Berkshire Mountains.

According to Andrew Madden, chief of the Western District Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in Massachusetts, “This bear entered many homes and bypassed available food, going straight into the freezer and gobbling up ice cream. The consistency of the taste could be due to deliver.

When searching for high-calorie food, bears occasionally come across other substances. According to Joseph Livingston of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in October 2020, a resident of Cotopaxi, Colorado reported that a bear broke into an outdoor freezer and stole edible marijuana. The animal also brought fries, possibly planning in advance.

poisoning by animals

Recreational drugs can make wildlife ill regardless of their other effects. A confused raccoon spotted in a nearby yard was taken by Gibsons Wildlife Rescue Center in Gibsons, British Columbia, in January 2018. Laboratory analysis determined that the animal had recently used both marijuana and benzodiazepines, a class of tranquilizers commonly treated for anxiety.

The facility kept the animal warm and calm, and after a few hours it began to wake up. Irene Davy, a co-founder of the facility, recalled that he was suddenly alive and expressed a wish to be released, which they did.

Mrs. Davy isn’t sure how the raccoon acquired these items, but she suspects it may have consumed edibles, swallowed the end of a joint, or discovered the benzodiazepines in the trash.

In addition, there is a possibility of drugs entering the water supply. According to a 2021 study, researchers found various illegal substances, including cocaine, MDMA and ketamine, in a Hungarian lake after a music festival was held nearby. In 2019, cocaine residues were discovered in freshwater prawns collected from UK rivers.

Although the impact on wildlife is uncertain, studies indicate that the health and behavior of fish and crustaceans can be affected by drug-contaminated water. According to one study, eels exposed to water containing small amounts of cocaine appeared hyperactive and showed symptoms of muscle injury.

Intoxicants usually do not come from humans. Cedar waxwings who have consumed fermented berries and are intoxicated are often treated by Think Wild Central Oregon, which operates a wildlife emergency hotline and hospital.

The organization’s development and communications coordinator, Molly Honea, noted that they appeared to be quite unstable. Eventually, due to their confusion and lack of coordination, they crashed into windows.

The hospital takes care of both the birds’ wounds and their poisoning. “We put them in the oxygen tank and let them rehydrate,” Ms. Honea added.

Other creatures said to get “drunk” after consuming fermented fruit include bears, moose, and most notably, elephants. Large animals would have to consume large amounts of fruit to get drunk.

UNINTENDED HAZARD

When consumed in large quantities, even ordinary human food can be dangerous to wildlife. Some are even poisonous.

Animals that frequently eat litter also eat other types of litter. A critically ill bear found in a dumpster by Colorado authorities had to be euthanized; An autopsy revealed that his stomach was “filled with plastic and cigarette butts and just really horrible stuff.

According to Beth Axelrod, president of the Virginia-based nonprofit Wildlife Rescue League, sometimes wild creatures trying to consume a piece of human food get caught in the trash. The organization’s wildlife rescuer, Billy Rios, once freed a raccoon whose head was stuck in a peanut butter bottle, and recently rescued another raccoon who required surgery after a Pepsi can got stuck in one of his legs.

Even animals that recognize that humans are a source of food might become brave and venture into homes and not just backyards. “Unfortunately, if this behavior worsens, through no fault of its own, it can put the bear in a scenario where it has become a threat and needs to be removed,” said Dr. Wattles. (He stressed that animals roaming urban areas are at risk of being hit by cars.)

Since animal biology is unlikely to change, it’s up to humans to mitigate the dangers. Experts advised people to dispose of rubbish correctly and to store rubbish, pet food, bird seed and other animal attractants in safe indoor areas. They advised against feeding animals, and presumably also against dropping cocaine from planes.

FINAL EFFECT

Wildlife appetites for legal or illegal human products can cause problems for both animals and humans. Recreational drugs can make wildlife sick, while even common human food can be dangerous or toxic to wildlife when consumed in large numbers.

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