Elephants Use Medicinal Plants to Treat Themselves, Researchers Find
Researchers said mothers pass medicinal plants to calves, and 25 of the 35 species identified are known locally for healing uses.
- Researchers in Kenya's Mount Elgon region found elephants consume 35 different plant species to treat ailments, with 25 of those plants locally recognized for medicinal properties.
- Collaborating with the Mount Elgon Foundation, the team interviewed local wildlife scouts and community elders whose accounts revealed elephants selecting specific plants when appearing unwell.
- One wildlife scout described seeing an elephant mother use Angurweet "as medicine to give to babies," mixing leaves with milk after chewing the plant until smooth.
- Dr. Elodie Freymann of Brown University and Dr. Fabien Schultz of the Bernhard Nocht Institute now aim to investigate whether these plants possess relevant biological activity. "This shows just how entangled our medicines are with the non-human world," Freymann said.
- Primatologist Professor Michael Huffman of Nagasaki University added that self-medication is observed across the evolutionary ladder, from insects to great apes, though more evidence is needed to confirm bespoke elephant treatment.
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A Week In Review - La Voz Colorado
Africa New research on elephants revealed A study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that African elephants use more than 35 plants to treat themselves and their families when sick. The study observed elephants in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya. Among the plants the elephants were seen using include a plant called Angurweet […]
A study on elephants in Kenya collects 39 resources that they consume: 87% also have medicinal use among Sabaots. It is still necessary to prove that they are self-medicated.
African elephants use dozens of plant species to treat when they are sick and may even administer some of these remedies to their offspring, shows a new study conducted in Kenya. Researchers have identified 35 plants used by animals, 25 of which are known by local communities for their medicinal properties, BBC reports.
There is a pharmacy hidden in the jungles of Kenya and not managed by any human.On the slopes of Mount Elgon, a group of elephants choose specific plants when they get sick, chew bitter roots and even prepare home remedies for their smaller offspring.A study published in Scientific Reports magazine has documented that elephants ... Continue reading "The elephants of Kenya run their own pharmacy: 35 plants to self-heal and immunize their young"
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