Chimp pharmacy

We have known for a long time that animals are able to identify toxic plants and avoid eating them. But can they manage to use plants to heal themselves? Observations made on various chimpanzee groups suggest so:

- During the period when parasites are most abundant, chimpanzees of several African communities roll up hairy plant leaves on their tongues and swallow them without chomping. The analysis of these monkeys' stools revealed the presence of these leaves, which were not digested, but contained worms trapped in the hair. An efficient vermifuge.

- In Tanzania, researchers observed dramatic changes in the behaviour of chimpanzees that showed signs of intestinal discomfort. These animals almost didn't eat anymore, except for stems of a small tree, which are usually not eaten by these monkeys because of their bitter taste.

London Free Press