Scientists have found that chimpanzees can heal themselves when they get hurt or sick. An Oxford study followed chimpanzees in the wild and found they have access to a ‘forest pharmacy’ that helps them medicate for pain and inflammation. The researchers followed several groups of chimpanzees in Uganda for eight months and found when they were injured, they sought out specific plants to eat. When tested, most of these plants were found to have medicinal properties which reduce pain and promote healing.
The scientists looked for signs of pain such as limping and collected samples of droppings and urine to check for illnesses. They then tested what the chimpanzee sought out to eat that wasn’t within their normal diet such as tree bark or fruit skin. Of the plants tested, 88% contained antibacterial properties and 33% were anti-inflammatory. All chimpanzees reported in the study fully recovered.
Lead researcher Dr Elodie Freymann from Oxford University thinks that the research can help us find new medicines. “We can’t test everything in these forests for their medicinal properties, so why not test the plants that we have this information about – plants the chimps are seeking out?”
This study gives extra impetus for preserving our natural environment to sustain and promote this medical knowledge and forest pharmacies. While not yet providing certainty of their value, these discoveries could aid the development of new drugs for humans. This is especially important in the face of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and chronic inflammatory diseases that are becoming urgent global challenges.