About 200 swans landed in a poppy field in Slovakia. For months the animals got drunk on the plants. Now they’re going to a rehab.
Patince – Higher and higher, that’s what it’s currently saying for around 200 swans in Slovakia. Did the animals know what they were getting themselves into when they stopped in the field with the beautiful red flowers? Probably not. Because the birds landed in the truest sense of the word in the middle of the drug trap, from which they can no longer free themselves. What was intended as a stopover ends in a month-long frenzy for the animals. For some of them it is now: end of the line withdrawal clinic.
At first it was just a few swans that settled in the poppy field in Patince, Slovakia, on the Hungarian border. After heavy rainfall, a pond had formed there from which the birds wanted to drink. But pretty quickly they apparently took a liking to the poppies that organic farmer Balint Pem grows in the field, and they stayed. The Südwestrundfunk (SWR) and Deutschlandfunk had reported on the strange incident. Also in the port of Swans live in Bad Karlshafen.
200 swans got drunk on a poppy field in Slovakia
Word got around among the animals that there was a very special treat to be found on farmer Pem’s field. Gradually, more and more conspecifics landed on the field and apparently intoxicated themselves with the plants. It is unclear whether it was the taste that the animals were after or the effect – it was not long in coming: the animals seemed intoxicated, staggered and only moved slowly. In short, they were totally stoned. Red and blue poppies are grown in the field.
The sap of the plants naturally contains morphine, a painkiller with a highly addictive effect. It is mainly found in the unripe capsule, the leaves and the stems. Blue poppy seeds are used in baking. Also known as the opium poppy, it is safe to consume as the varieties grown for this purpose have very low levels of the substance.
Swans on drugs: Poppies naturally contain morphine
The drug opium is also made from the juice of the unripe fruit capsules of the opium poppy, making it illegal to grow in the garden is. “We have never experienced anything like that, that swans graze just a piece of the poppy,” says the organic farmer zum SWR. “Because the whole poppy plant is poisonous. It contains alkaloids”.
The intoxicating effect of the poppy plants has dramatic consequences for the animals. Since they sit completely listless in the field and are easy to approach without flying away, they are easy prey for foxes and other predators. Some were even so sluggish that they simply drowned while swimming in the river, lacking the strength to get out of the water.
The swans were no longer able to fly or mate due to the poppies
And the drugged-up swans also lacked motivation to mate. They were only busy feeding themselves the next dose of poppy seeds. The plant had become her purpose in life. Despite everything, there was no thought of stopping. In total, the apparently addicted animals have already destroyed five hectares of poppies in the last four months.
The organic farmer Prem is sorry that the swans are suffering. But he is not allowed to expel the protected animals, even if in this case it would be for their protection. For this he would need a special permit from the competent authority – and this can be a long time coming. The only thing he can do now and then is to clap his hands to scare the animals away, which doesn’t have much effect on the apathetic swans.
The weakest of them are taken to a sanctuary by environmentalists – for rehab. But there aren’t enough places. The healthier ones are taken to another location – away from the drug. Maybe you can also resettle them in parks, like recently with one Swan family in the Kasseler Bergpark happen.
The addicted swans must not be chased away from the poppy field by the farmer
The farmer could receive permission to evict the animals in the coming year, reports SWR. He will probably have to wait a long time for compensation for the crops destroyed by swan addiction. He can’t really do anything for that long, apart from hoping that the animals will eventually clear their heads and move on. Next year he would rather grow rapeseed, he said to the ARD magazine explosive.
The district of Northeim relies on organically grown purple opium poppies. Especially at this time of year you can admire colorful poppies in many places. Hopefully in their splendor they will not attract any other animals that will fall for them uncontrollably. Also to many others It is better to avoid plants in your own garden.
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