Elephants travel long distances for self-care plants

UPDATE - follow-up to After great apes, scientists find African elephants self-medicate too: wild elephants travel across long distances to reach specific trees without looking for food along the way, driven solely by the goal of eating the bark or leaves.

Medical Behaviors

Scientists call this behavior zoopharmacognosy. Animals use these natural resources to deal with endoparasite infestations, respiratory infections, fungal infections, wounds, and stomach problems. While these remedies mostly come from plants like leaves, barks, and resin, animals also use charcoal, clay, and insects for treatment.

Animal Kingdom Examples

Other wild animals also show similar pharmacological knowledge. Orangutans put plant treatments on their wounds, and chimpanzees eat bitter antibacterial leaves. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins line up to rub against specific corals, and birds put insecticidal plants in their nests to protect against anemia-causing mites.

Context

Zoopharmacognosy shows how wild animals possess natural survival instincts that go beyond basic feeding behaviors. Understanding these habits helps researchers study how species maintain their health in natural habitats without human intervention.