
Bear Cub Eats Hallucinogenic ‘Mad Honey,’ Proceeds to (Apparently) Trip Its Face Off
A new viral video shows a bear cub (apparently) tripping its face off after eating so-called “mad honey,” which causes hallucinations, amongst other problems. (The bear is said to be OK now.)
Although the idea of a bear eating honey may generally seem adorable, sometimes real life gives us a more PG-13 version of a Winnie the Pooh adventure than expected. In a new video out of Turkey, for example, we glimpse a bear cub that ate too much “mad honey” and subsequently went on what looks like one heck of a psychedelic trip. And while it’s hard to say exactly what the bear was feeling, word has it the cub is now vehemently anti-war and thinks Joe Rogan makes some really good points.
The South China Morning Post uploaded the above video of the tripping bear cub in Turkey, which, as of this writing, has about 400,000 views. As the South China Post reports, the bear was rescued by a national parks team in northwestern Turkey on August 11. In the video, we see the bear in what appears to be the back of a national parks truck—exhibiting labored breathing, a dissociative state (staring off at nothing, focused on nothing), and some body paralysis.
The national parks team suspects the bear ate fresh honey containing rhododendron pollen or rhododendron nectar. And while Rhododendrons (or Rhododendron) are ubiquitous shrubs found in many gardens and parks, their flowers, leaves, and fruits can sometimes contain—as Plantura Magazine points out—toxic diterpenes (or chemicals that form biologically important compounds such as retinol, retinal, and phytol.) Plantura notes that “Even eating one leaf or flower” can cause: nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, sickness, hypersensitivity of mucous membranes and extremities, and increased salivation.

Plantura further notes that some Rhododendrons contain specific diterpenes called grayanotoxins (which are a type of neurotoxin that affect the brain). The honey from these Rhododendrons, which are located along the coast of the Turkish Black Sea coast, amongst other regions, can cause the other listed symptoms, but also hallucinations. (Incidentally, permies.com notes that “In the 1700s, the Black Sea region traded [Rhododendron honey containing grayanotoxins] with Europe, where [it] was infused with drinks to give boozers a greater high than alcohol could deliver.”)
As for the bear cub’s unique reaction? She does appear to be hallucinating along with experiencing her other listed (evident) symptoms. Although it’s obviously impossible to say for sure. Especially because people who’ve eaten too much “mad honey” also report experiencing non-hallucinogenic symptoms such as vertigo, which could account for the cub’s behavior.

Regardless of the cub’s state of mind during its “trip,” the important thing is that she has, reportedly, pulled through just fine. Word has it, however, that the bear is now thinking about joining the Peace Corps and selling all of her possessions in order to buy a Volkswagen bus.
Feature image: The South China Morning Post
Related News
Potential New Species of Dazzling Box Jellyfish Spotted Near the Great Barrier Reef
A scuba diver swimming off the coast Papua New Guinea, near the Great Barrier Reef, has recorded video of a dazzling, weird jellyfish that...
Ocean Explorers Eye ‘Whiplash Squid’ that Looks Like H.P. Lovecraft Creation
National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists have observed a creature straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft nightmare: a crimson-colored 'whiplash squid' with tentacles...
Solumbellula Monocephalus, a Gross Aquatic Polyp, Observed in Pacific Ocean for First Time
Researchers aboard the EV Nautilus research vessel have observed a "sea pen" polyp in the Pacific Ocean for the first time and its "barbed...
Japanese Man Saves ‘Murder Hornet’ from Disgusting Parasite in Oddly Satisfying Video
Japanese insect enthusiast Ebira Mosura has released a video showing his removal of a parasite from the abdomen of a "murder hornet" and it...
WTF Is Up with the Weird Origins of Monkeypox? And Why Is It Virtually Clinically Identical to Smallpox?
Here's a rundown of the origins of the monkeypox virus, which scientists first discovered in a human-controlled "colony" in Copenhagen in 1958.
32-Year-Old Runner Dies of Cardiac Arrest, 16 Hospitalized, at Brooklyn Half-Marathon
Thirty-two-year-old Manhattan resident David Reichman died from cardiac arrest after Sunday's half-marathon in Brooklyn, which required all runners to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Sixteen...