African elephants in Kenya may deliberately use certain plants when they are sick, according to new research based on local knowledge and wildlife observations.
The study focused on elephants living around Mount Elgon in Kenya.
Researchers identified 35 plant species reportedly used by the elephants. Of those, 25 are known locally for medicinal uses, according to the research reported by the BBC.
The findings raise new questions about how elephants interact with plants and whether some of their feeding behaviour could represent a form of self-medication.
Kenya elephants observed selecting certain plants
Researchers worked with the conservation organisation Mount Elgon Foundation.
They interviewed people with extensive local knowledge of the elephants, including wildlife scouts and community elders.
Participants described elephants selecting particular plants when they appeared unwell.
Some accounts also suggested that elephant mothers may give certain plant material to their calves.
However, researchers say more direct evidence is needed to establish exactly why the elephants select these plants.
Mothers reportedly give plants to calves
One of the most striking observations involved a locally known plant called Angurweet.
According to an account cited in the study and reported by the BBC, a wildlife scout had observed elephant mothers chewing the plant with roots from other trees.
The scout said mothers appeared to mix the plant material with their milk before giving it to their calves.
Angurweet is also used locally as a remedy for ailments including stomach ache.
However, Professor Michael Huffman, a primatologist who was not involved in the study, cautioned that more evidence is needed.
He described the observation as “tantalising” but said researchers would need further evidence to demonstrate that elephants were deliberately providing medical treatment to their calves.
Researchers investigate elephant plant use
Scientists are now trying to gather that evidence.
Local wildlife experts have been given cameras to document elephant behaviour.
Researchers are also analysing plants used by the animals to determine whether they contain substances with relevant biological properties.
“Local knowledge has given us a map,” researcher Dr Fabien Schultz told the BBC.
Scientists now want to establish whether elephants select particular plants under specific health conditions.
Mount Elgon’s unusual elephants
The Mount Elgon elephants have attracted scientific attention for another unusual behaviour.
They enter caves and use their tusks to scrape rock surfaces for minerals, earning them the description “salt-mining elephants.”
The latest research suggests their knowledge of the surrounding environment may also extend to plants with medicinal properties.
Other animals have also been observed using natural substances in ways researchers associate with self-medication.
Forests could hold important medicinal knowledge
Dr Elodie Freymann, one of the study’s lead researchers, said the findings also highlight the importance of protecting forest habitats.
Many medicines used by humans have origins in compounds found in plants and other organisms.
Researchers hope that studying how wildlife selects plants could eventually provide clues about biologically active compounds.
For now, scientists are continuing to observe the Mount Elgon elephants to determine whether their plant choices can be directly linked to particular illnesses or health needs.