These Elephants Are Managing Their Own Forest Pharmacy

Elephants in the forests of Kenya's Mount Elgon region may be running their own version of a pharmacy, researchers say. A new study based on interviews with wildlife scouts and community elders concludes that the region's "salt-mining" elephants deliberately consume at least 35 plant species when unwell, 25 of which locals already use as traditional remedies, per the BBC. Witnesses described elephants choosing specific plants when sick, and mothers reportedly chewing medicinal leaves from plants like angurweet, then mixing the pulp with milk to give to their calves.

The research, published in Scientific Reports and led by Brown University's Elodie Freymann and colleagues, relies on detailed local testimony rather than direct lab proof, so scientists caution more evidence is needed to confirm that elephants are tailoring treatments. Camera traps and new field recordings are now being used to capture the behavior on video, while researchers analyze the plants themselves for potentially useful compounds.

Freymann argues that the findings underline how habitat loss could erase "natural pharmacies" that benefit both animals and humans, noting that many modern drugs originate from wild organisms. Germany's BNITM institute notes that it's been known since the '70s that wildlife can use local flora to help themselves heal, including chimps that eat bitter leaves to rid themselves of parasites, in a phenomenon known as zoopharmacognosy.