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A Safari Park is Treating Exotic Animals with Cannabis Oil

An African Safari Park is Treating Exotic Animals with Cannabis Oil
Green Rush Daily

CBD

A Safari Park is Treating Exotic Animals with Cannabis Oil

An African-themed safari park in Arizona has begun treating sick animals with CBD oil.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is renowned for possessing all of the medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant—without actually getting the user high. This has made it optimal for a wide range of patients, including senior citizens, young children, and even animals.

Studies have shown CBD can effectively treat many of the same diseases in animals as it can with humans. In fact, plenty of veterinarians are beginning to adopt the practice of prescribing CBD for a wide variety of issues involving pets. This has also had a trickle effect, coincidentally, on one African Safari park, that’s begun to experiment with treating exotic animals with cannabis oil. And so far, the results have been promising.

Safari Treating Exotic Animals with Cannabis Oil

According to a report by 3TV/CBS 5, the staff at Out of Africa, an African safari-themed park in Camp Verde, Arizona, has begun working with veterinarians to administer CBD to their animals for a variety of ailments including cancer, anxiety, and seizures.

The park is working with Sedona-based CBD company, Source CBD. Ian Pederson, one of the representatives from the company, told CBS that so far, the medicine is working just as well in the animals as it typically does with humans. In fact, Pederson says the product was originally developed for a young girl suffering from intense seizures before the company began using it on animals.

“Studies show incredibly promising results with supplying our endocannabinoid system with cannabinoids. That translates to key proteins, cell support, cell proliferation and cell health,” Pederson said. “On the neuropathic level, it arthritis, IBS, Crohns, Fibromyalgia. On the neurological side, it covers seizures and disorders in the central nervous system.”

Results Have Been Promising

The park, thus far, has used CBD on four different animals in the park—a goat, suffering from chronic seizures, an 11-year old tiger with a cancerous tumor, a large python, also suffering from cancer, and a lion who’s been riddled with anxiety since birth.

According to Pederson, the results speak for themselves. After introducing CBD through its diet, seizures have decreased by a whopping 95%.

The tiger, Chalet, who suffers from melanoma, has seen a rapid increase in appetite, as well as an overall decrease in discomfort. The park hopes the CBD will also eventually eliminate the tumor.

Kumba, a lion, suffers from separation anxiety. She’s best friends with Chalet, but when separated from her tiger companion, she becomes visibly anxious. Park owner Dean Harrison says she’s become much calmer since the introduction of CBD.

“When Chalet goes by herself, Kumba is not happy,” Harrison said. “We give her CBD oil, and it settles her down.”

As for Apollo, the 16-foot-long reticulated python, vets have noticed his sizable tumor shrink significantly since they began injecting his meals with cannabidiol. Harrison says if not for the CBD, Apollo would probably not be alive today.

“Usually it’s a death sentence, but in this case, we’ve been treating him, and he’s alive and active,” Harrison said.

While treating exotic animals with cannabis oil, thus far, have been incredibly encouraging, Pederson warns folks at home to only acquire CBD from a licensed vet—not a third party provider. Mostly, because the industry is still in its infantile stage.

“You can find incredibly low levels of CBD in some products, because it’s still the wild west.”

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