Amazing Facts

[brotherbear]

The Medicine Bear. Zoopharmacognosy is a relatively new science. It is the study of highly intelligent animals that treat themselves by the use of specific herbs to treat specific illnesses. For this reason the Medicine Bear is a part of the American Indian culture. The great apes are also known to treat themselves thus. We talk a lot about the size and the awesome strength of bears. They are also highly intelligent carnivores. Rudyard Kipling made the right choice when he chose Baloo the bear as Mowgli's teacher.

Bear-ology by Sylvia Dolson - The Science of Zoopharmacognosy.
According to researchers in the relatively new science of zoopharmacognosy ( animal use of medicinal plants to treat illness ), several species of animals are known to seek out plants that have known medicinal properties.
Many of us witness this with our own pets - dogs and cats eat grass to aid with digestion. Some monkeys in Brazil eat a fruit that may function as a fertility drug. Birds do "anting" - the rubbing of live ants on their feathers, presumably relying on the insects' defensive secretions as natural fungicides or insecticides. Rats that eat clay can survive an otherwise lethal dose of pesticides. And chimpanzees seek out plants that act as treatments for intestinal parasites.

Bear-ology by Sylvia Dolson - The Bear as a Healer.

In many aboriginal cultures, the bear was revered as a great healer because the bear knew the secrets of the plants. Often portrayed as the plant gatherer in many Native myths, the bear is seen as a mysterious herbalist gathering medicines straight from nature's pharmacy. Even the names of many North American wild plants, such as bear's tongue, bear's wort, bear's tail, bear's paw, bear clover, bear's ear, bear's breech, bear moss, bear corn, bear bane, and bearberry reflect the bear's widespread association with medicine and healing.

North American black bears and grizzlies are known to dig up Ligusticum porteri ( also known, not surprisingly as bear root or osha ), chew the root into a mash and rub the paste through their fur. As they do so, they go into a catnip-like frenzy, often growing calmer after a session with the root. Bear root is very effective as an antiviral and antipeptic ( digestive aid ), and is known to have antibiotic properties - making it an effective treatment for stomach aches and bacterial infections. It may also offer bears relief from fleas, ticks, and even fungus conditions. As an all-around pain-killer, humans use this medicinal plant for rheumatism, arthritis, and sore muscles. It's also been discovered that there are steroids, cardiac glycocides, and coumarins within the bear root plant - a group of important natural compounds that have been found to have numerous healing properties.

Bears often rub on resinous trees such as pine. They seem to love utility poles freshly painted with creosote. Their preference for these smelly substances may be related to the immediate relief of itching from biting flies and ectoparasites ( parasites that live outside the body ). The resins impair the health of mites, lice and ticks, repel biting insects, and are anti-microbial, helping heal bacterial and fungal infections. Or, the bear may just be scratching an itch or leaving his mark.

Bears may even rid themselves of tapeworm and intestinal parasites by eating a rough fibrous sedge ( Carex spp ) before going into hibernation.

Like many other mammals and birds, bears consume clay - a practice known as geophagy. Clay-licking may help bears feel better when infested with intestinal worms or poisoned by natural dietary toxins.

Bears sometimes chew on ash, perhaps to settle their stomachs. The largest volcanic eruption in the twentieth century occurred in Katmai National Park in Alaska. Much of the park soil is volcanic ash and the bears eat this ash - it's a natural form of antacid. This makes a lot of sense, given that meat/fish and nuts ( at times the bulk of the bear's diet )are highly acidic foods. The ash also helps to get rid of parasites in the digestive tract. ( Jessica Teel; http://www.grizzlybay,org ). Reply