Nature constantly performs many miracles all around us, especially in the wild habitat. If we slow down and keep our eyes and minds open, we can see and understand some of them. But for today's modern, fast-paced man, they come few and far between. The old folks, people of the earth, identified with many of nature's miracles. But even they could comprehend only a small fraction of them all.

One of the most wonderful of nature's workshop is how she provides necessary medicines and substances to the wild creatures. All living things that ingest and excrete need an occasional supplement in their diets to clean and purify their systems. Humans are aware of this, but animals have no way to know, therefore, unknown to them, nature provides this treatment.

On the edges and sometimes in the middle of creeks and streams, are located sand bars. As minerals and elements flow downstream in the running water, the sand catches and filters some of them from the water, forming mineral deposits on the sand. Sometimes when the sun rays shine just right upon the sand, you actually can see the minerals there. It looks like a faint rainbow of colors glistening.

Many wild animals, especially deer, raccoons, mink, muskrats, and other creatures come to lick and consume these minerals that nature has put there for them. The old folks called these deposits "salt licks".

One of nature's most important substances is found in the leaves, bark, and roots of certain hardwood trees. It is called "tannin" and when it is released into the environment it becomes "tannic acid".

When man extracts it in put form, it is strong, harsh, and caustic. For ages, it has been used to sure of "tan" the rawhide of animal skins, turning them into leather, hence its name "tannin".

But in its natural state, it is most beneficial to animals. It is one means that nature provided animals and out ancient human ancestors with a necessary dietary supplement.

I know that I will probably receive a couple or so letters from highly educated people saying that what I'm writing makes a certain amount of sense, but it hasn't been scientifically proven.

It's happened before. But the things I learn from observing nature's ways don't need to be verified or proven to me by anyone.

When autumn comes and the leaves begin to fall, some of them drop into the streams and swamps. As they begin to deteriorate and turn dark, tannic acid is released into the water and mud.

When wild animals drink from the streams, they consume doses of tannic acid which helps keep them healthy and strong. Just as pure tannin cures or tans animal skins, tannic acid in its natural form and strength cleans and strengthens internal tissue of animals, including humans. Even to this day, when a deer is wounded by a hunter's bullet, it will head straight to water, partly submerge itself, and drink deeply. I believe that instinct makes it do this so that the tannic acid can begin to heal its wound, both from the outside and internally. This is one of the easier of nature's miracles that we can understand.

Here at the wildlife rehabilitation center, we often put leaves into the watering trays and buckets in the animal pens to provide tannic acid to them. We have found that it enhances their recovery and overall health.

If you would like to see for yourself how tannic acid works, get a piece of old, very rusty, iron about two feet in length. Go to a swamp or creek surrounded by hardwood trees, especially oaks, maples, hickory, and walnut. Submerge the piece of iron half under water or mud and leave the other half out. Go back in about twelve to fourteen days and remove the iron from the mud or water. You will find that the part that was under water will be black and clean. The tannic acid will have dissolved the rust, leaving the metal strong and clean.

In southeastern North Carolina, near White Lake, there is a large, natural lake that has very little marine life in it. If you dip up a glass of the water, it looks like weak coffee or tea. This lake has a very high content of tannic acid.

In a secret place in woods not to far behind my house, a sweet water spring bubbles to the surface from veins deep inside the earth. It lies where fertilizer and chemicals cannot reach it. The wastes of humans and domestic animals cannot pollute its clear, cold, pure water. More than two hundred years ago, someone hewed its sides and bed from solid rock to form a small, urn-like basin that holds about four gallons of crystal water. In the fall, a few leaves from oak, hickory, and maple trees that tower above the spring fall into the water and settle upon its rock bottom. At this time the water is laced with tannic acid released from the leaves. An old tin cup hangs on a spike driven into one of the oaks by my grandfather more than a hundred years ago. Sometime between now and next Saturday afternoon, I will go down into those woods to that old spring, take that old tin cup, dip up a cup full of water and have myself a tannic tonic.



(Frank Newell is a Wildlife Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services Division. He, his wife Peggy and daughter Kristye Newell Steed are licensed State and Federal Wildlife Rehabilitators.)

This article reprinted with permission of: The Littleton Observer, 101 East South Main Street, Littleton, NC 27850 and Frank Newell.

                                

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