Natural High: Animals that Use Drugs in the Wild

Jaguars on Yage

Banisteriopsis caapi, also called Yage, is a common vine in the South American rainforest. It is one of the ingredients in the powerfully hallucinogenic drink used by shamans called Ayahuasca. It seems that human use of the drug was prompted by jaguars.Jaguars will eat the leaves and roots of the vine. Once they do, they begin to roll around on the forest floor and toy with items like a kitten would. For tribes in the Amazon, the jaguar was held to be sacred. Seeing the jaguar behave in this bizarre way may have given them the idea to try this magical vine for themselves. Ayahuasca is still commonly used in rites of passage and rituals but has become popular with Western travelers looking for a touch of jaguar fun.