Scientists have discovered that wild chimpanzees in Uganda consume plants with pain-relieving and antibacterial properties to heal themselves. This discovery emerged from careful observation of injured or sick chimps in the forests of Uganda.
Dr. Elodie Freymann and her team from the University of Oxford spent four years studying two chimpanzee communities in Budongo Central Forest Reserve. They noted when an injured animal sought specific plants, collected samples, and found that many had medicinal properties.
The researchers, whose findings were published in PLOS One, believe this behavior could guide the search for new medicines.
“We can’t test everything in these forests for their medicinal properties,” Dr. Freymann said. “So why not test the plants that chimps are seeking out?”
One notable observation involved a male chimp with a wounded hand that limped away from his group to eat ferns, specifically Christella parasitica, which was found to have potent anti-inflammatory properties.
In total, 17 plant samples from 13 species were tested by Dr. Fabien Schultz at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Nearly 90% of the extracts inhibited bacterial growth, and a third had anti-inflammatory properties.
All the injured and ill chimps observed in the study recovered fully, including the fern-eating chimp who was using his hand again within days. While direct causation cannot be definitively proven, the study highlights the valuable medicinal knowledge gained from observing wildlife and emphasizes the importance of preserving these “forest pharmacies” for future generations.