Wild elephants travel long distances to self-medicate using bark and leaves

UPDATE - follow-up to After great apes, scientists find African elephants self-medicate too: wild elephants travel long distances specifically to reach particular trees without foraging on the way, driven by a single-minded mission to consume bark or leaves. This behavior forms part of a wider natural phenomenon known to scientists as zoopharmacognosy.

Medical Behaviors

Animals across the natural world show intuitive knowledge of medicine. Orangutans apply plant balms to their wounds, while chimpanzees eat bitter antibacterial leaves. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins line up to rub against selected corals. Birds protect their nests from anaemia-causing mites by smearing them with insecticidal plants.

Treatment Types

Through zoopharmacognosy, creatures seek out plants to treat endoparasite infestations, respiratory infections, fungal infections, wounds, and stomach problems. While most medicinal resources come from plants like leaves, barks, and resin, animals also use charcoal, clay, and insects to treat themselves. Additionally, several plants used by these animals are also consumed as traditional human medicine.

Context

Animals often display complex survival behaviors honed over generations to deal with common ailments in the wild. This instinctive use of natural resources mirrors early human discovery of medicinal plants.