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EPIB Trail
Volume 12, Issue 1
Birds in India Have Developed an Addiction to Eating What?! By Angelica Rojas
Parrots in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have been destroying poppy plants in farm fields, in order to feed into their opium
addiction. Due to the inconsistent rainfall in this area that has restricted cultivation of seasonal crops, parrots have been ravaging the poppy plants since 2015. In the cultivation process. farmers cut the pods in order to ripen the plants, which in result exposes latex, which is high in morphine. After waiting patiently for this step of growing the plants, parrots
silently land in the poppy fields to peck at the flowers and to consume the white, milk-like opium.
Some
birds
display
possessive
behavior, as they collect and fly away with multiple plant stalks. At first the birds came to the fields in groups, making noise and drawing attention. However, this behavior changed after the parrots learned the consequences of being noticed by farmers. A wide range of these parrots have intelligently learned
not to squawk or make noise while stealing the plants to avoid detection by farmers. This constant invasion of birds in the field has required persistent surveillance to avoid destruction. The opium poppy plant, also known as Papaver Somniferum, is the oldest medicinal plant cultivated by humans in the world. This plant has been utilized for thousands of years as an opiates. As of late, this opium plant has been processed for painkillers such as morphine and codeine. The opium gives the parrots an instant
