Chimpanzees know how to self-medicate and are knowledgeable enough to pick plants to help them heal.
Chimpanzees in Uganda Self-Medicate With Herbal Plants
In a new study, researchers discovered that wild chimpanzees knew how to pick plants with pain-relieving and anti-bacterial properties. They noticed one injured chimpanzee who looked for some ferns in the forest, and they collected samples of the said plant and realized that it has healing properties.
Dr. Elodie Freymann, from the University of Oxford, has been tracking and closely watching two communities of wild chimpanzees in Budongo Central Forest Reserve for the past four years, sometimes for months at a period.
She and her colleagues also took urine and searched for discomfort indicators, such as an animal limping or holding its body oddly. They dropped samples to test for infections and illnesses.
When a male chimpanzee who was hurt or ill tried to find something they don't usually consume, such as fruit skins or tree bark, they took more notice.
The monkey was limping and wasn't using his hand to walk. He was the only member of the group to look for and consume ferns.
The researchers gathered and examined the fern, Christella parasitica. They discovered that it possessed anti-inflammatory solid qualities.
The scientists gathered 17 samples from 13 distinct plant species and sent them to the German Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences to be examined by Dr. Fabien Schultz.
The results showed that nearly 90% of the extracts prevented the growth of bacteria and that 33% possessed inherent anti-inflammatory qualities, which meant they might lessen discomfort and speed up recovery. According to Dr. Freymann, every sick and injured monkey in this study has healed after consuming the medicinal plant.
"The one who ate ferns was using his hand again within the next few days," she explained.
Freymmann added that they could not conclusively establish that the consumption of these resources caused any of these cases. However, it also emphasizes protecting the "forest pharmacies" for future generations. Additionally, it draws attention to the medical information that may be obtained from studying other species in the environment.
Orangutan Treats Injure Face With Medicinal Plant
In another study, researchers observed a Sumatran orangutan using an herbal plant to treat its wound on the face. The male orangutan named Rakus resided in a protected rainforest area in Indonesia. He suffered a facial wound below his right eye in June 2022.
According to primatologist and cognitive biologist Isabelle Laumer of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, the orangutan chewed the plant's leaves, producing a liquid that Rakus repeatedly applied to the wound. The plant material that had been chewed up was then placed directly into the scars, resembling a plaster that surgeons would use.
The orangutan does not appear to have taken up self-medication by accident. Rakus solely used the plant juice on the injured area of his right flange face. Plant juice was applied first, followed by more solid plant material, and this process was repeated several times until the wound was fully covered.
The entire process took a considerable amount of time. After more than a month, Rakus appeared to heal the wound.
According to reports, the plant he utilized possesses anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antioxidant properties that aid pain alleviation and wound healing.
Caroline Schuppli, an evolutionary biologist at the institute, says it was the "first documented case" of a wild animal using a plant to treat wounds.
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