Poland: Warsaw Zoo plans to give elephants cannabidiol to help them relax and stop fighting

One of the elephants that calls Warsaw Zoo home. Picture: Warsaw Zoo/CNNSource:CNN

Warsaw Zoo in Poland has announced it will trial the use medical cannabidiol (CBD) on two of its animals to help relieve stress.

The project ‘hemp for elephants’ will involve giving two stressed African elephants medical CBD to help them relax and stop fighting within the herd, according to the zoo’s website.

“To start with, the program included Fredzia the elephant who, after the recent death of Erna, was a bit stressed and has little trouble finding her position in the herd,” the website reads.

“Fryderyk will receive CBD oil with food, but also as recommended, we will try to administer it directly into the mouth (it is more effectively absorbed through the mucosa).”

The hemp trial was put forward after the head of the herd died, leaving the remaining elephants struggling to cope.

Warsaw Zoo zookeeper Patryk Pyciński explained in a video posted on Facebook that elephants can struggle with the loss of a herd member “for weeks, sometimes for years.”

This has been the case with Fredzia, who has now adopted a “tough trunk” mentality in an attempt to assert dominance in the herd, CNN reports. Originally published here: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/warsaw-zoo-plans-to-give-elephants-cannabidiol-to-help-them-chill/news-story/f62bd4c55b62f45a16b305f4bb759a27