This is the spaced out moment a greedy bear cub learns that there are some necessities she should keep her paws off.
The cub became high as a kite after gorging itself on a type of hallucinogenic honey.
Video footage of the rescued female cub shows her sitting upright in the back of a pickup truck and staring off into space.
She can be seen gasping for breath as she suffers from the effects of the hallucinogenic honey.
The trippy bear had been found in the Yigilca district of Turkey’s coastal Duzce Province, in north-western Turkey, on the Black Sea, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said on Thursday, 11th August.
Forester Yasin Oztas – who found the cub -told local media that they took her to the Duzce National Parks and Nature Conservation Branch Directorate.
He explained that villagers had said the day before that a mother and her two cubs were travelling through the area.
Oztas said: “While we were carrying out our forest protection control activities, we saw a bear cub lying on the ground in a lethargic way.”
He said that at first, they were afraid, but they quickly realised that the young cub was unwell.
The Ministry said in a statement on Thursday: “Our baby brown bear, who is exhausted in Duzce, is in good health, and our teams continue their treatment.”
They also appealed to netizens to suggest a suitable name for the cub.
Bee expert Dr Meral Kekecoglu, the Associate Director of the Duzce University Beekeeping Research, Development and Application Centre, told local media the cub had eaten rhododendron honey, also known as ‘mad honey, or ‘deli bal’ in Turkish.
Dr Kekecoglu explained: “It has benefits, but it can also lead to death.”
Different types of hallucinogenic honey – made with chestnut, or rhododendron, and others with linden – can have different results.
Depending on the chemical content, the effects of the honey can vary wildly, he explained.
Dr Kekecoglu went on: “If the amount of grayanotoxin is very high, it shows a blood pressure lowering effect and even starts to hallucinate the person who consumes it.
“|Therefore, it can reach a very dangerous level in people who consume it. The situation can be very dire.
“It is necessary to be very careful when consuming rhododendron honey. It has benefits,
but it can lead to consequences that can lead to death.
“It is questioned whether it is possible to have such an effect on a bear, but it can.
“If it creates such an effect even on a bear, think about how much effect it can have on a person when they consume too much.”
Gayanotoxins are a family of neurotoxins that are found in various plant species.
Dr Kekecoglu said that when consumed in a controlled way, honey with this substance can help people suffering from hypertension and asthma.
The Turkish General Directorate of Forestry said in a statement, also on Thursday: “Our forest rangers on patrol found this ecstatic bear cub.
“We think it’s had a little too much honey, according to initial estimates.”
The bear is said to be in good health and recovering, the General Directorate of Forestry said.
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