Warsaw Zoo treats grieving elephants with CBD

Zoo keepers at the Warsaw Zoo are exploring the potential therapeutic uses of CBD by using the oil as a treatment for an elephant experiencing the pain of losing a member of its herd. The experiment in the zoo of the Polish capital is led by Dr. Agnieszka Czujkowska, head of the facility's animal rehabilitation department. In March of this year Erna, the largest female and oldest of the zoo's four elephant herds, died, which significantly disrupted the group dynamics of the remaining three animals. "This is a major turning point in any elephant group," Czujkowska told the BBC. "Elephants could have behavior problems if the structure of a group changes," says Czujkowska. After Erna's death, one of the three remaining elephants, another female named Fredzia, began to show signs of sadness. "Fredzia reacted strangely when she saw Erna's body. She was very excited," explained Czujkowska. "But you could see that she was actually grieving, she was also depressed. After the death of an elderly member of an elephant herd, it can take months or even years for members of the group to cope with the loss. Only then can the herd return to their previous state of harmony. "When Erna died, everything changed," said Czujkowska. "I don't think Fredzia was ready for such a big change. Fredzia continues to show signs of stress, especially as she struggles to establish a new relationship with her mate, another woman named Buba. "Fredzia is always thinking about what Buba is doing now, before she was calmer," said Czujkowska. CBD for depression and anxiety To help Fredzia manage her depression and anxiety, Czujkowska decided to treat her with a cannabis extract that is high in cannabidiol. Because they are stress-prone and relatively easy to monitor, she believed elephants would be good subjects to test the effectiveness of CBD in treating stress in animals. It is thought that the CBD stimulates the production of dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitters that can help fight depression. Czujkowska believes that the elephants will tolerate the cannabis oil well without causing serious side effects. "It's not very effective. The only side effect will be some behavior changes," said Czujkowska. "We're going to have to tackle these to get the results we want. The first phase of the experiment, the collection of saliva, feces and blood samples from the elephants to monitor cortisol levels, has already been completed. Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by both humans and some animals when they are exposed to stress. Next, the zoo staff will administer the CBD oil to the elephants either by mouthing it directly or by mixing it into their food. The health of the herd will continue to be monitored over time. "We plan to give them the CBD and measure the cortisol again," said Czujkowska. "This is the experiment," explained Czujkowska. Then we know for sure whether \[the oil\] is working or not ". Czujkowska believes this will be the first experiment to measure cortisol levels in elephants after they have been given the CBD. If the experiment is successful, the zoo can expand the research to include other stress animals such as rhinos and bears. The results of the study will not be known for at least two years.