Medicine for chimps
All across the animal kingdom, instances of species resorting to some sort of medicine has been recorded Chimpanzee Medicine.
One of the better-known examples are the Aspilia plants used by chimpanzees. On occasion, chimps can be seen eating these medicinal plants which contain Thiarubrine-A.
What separates this habit from their usual behavior is that instead of chewing the plants like their usual mode of eating. Chimpanzees gently massage these plants in their mouths for around 15 seconds before swallowing them.
Chimpanzee Medicine then releases the drugs into their systems via the mouth tissues which bypasses the strong acids in their stomach which would destroy the drugs. This then helps the chimps’ combat infections from bacteria, fungi, and intestinal worms.
This has led researchers to summarise that this is a conscious habit that chimpanzees choose to do when they are unwell.
