With wildlife species rapidly disappearing and the continual degradation of their habitats, much of their innate health practices still remain unclear. The practice of zoopharmacognosy is a survival tool used by many species; herbivores, carnivores, birds and pollinating insects that have all evolved and developed a strong recognition, relating and communicating with their natural environment in a variety of ways to maintain their life force and survival.

The health of wild animals is closely related to the ecosystems in which they live. They are greatly influenced by the environment surrounding them, and even minor disturbances can have far-reaching consequences on what diseases they might encounter and transmit as climate changes.

Further exploration in this field and the ongoing analysis of such associations, can assist in predicting more suitable locations for animals with essential botanical needs.

Working with plant secondary metabolites with individual livestock and domestic animals in creating successful outcomes, are well demonstrated prompting further research and extrapolating the direction of zoopharmacognosy behaviours of wildlife species in their natural habitat.

The long term sustainability and survival of wildlife calls for knowledge in all aspects of their survival strategies and practices, including zoopharmacognosy behaviour. Plant secondary metabolites selected by individual captive and wildlife rehabilitation animals for diagnosed health issues, that are also apparent in their wild counterparts, may offer clues to their medicinal requirements for their natural habitats. Animals in captivity can also benefit from environmental enrichment, promoting their natural behaviours and allowing them to use the fundamental behaviours they would use in the wild. Although many zoos are introducing aromatic herb plants into enclosures which serve to stimulate their olfactory senses, these may not be the most effective aromatic herb to support the emotional needs of the animal living a captive life. In principal these herbs may not necessarily be the natural choice of the individual animal had they been allowed to make their own selection.

We have crossed a tipping-point in the history of human knowledge where, largely due to the impact of our own species on the environment, a multidisciplinary input for further research and investigation is needed for us to reach a clearer understanding of animal-plant associations for health maintenance and disease control. Through this research we have an opportunity of learning more how this may be applied, and used constructively with our continually, shifting and unpredictable environment and in the preservation of our disappearing wildlife.