Chimpanzees living in Uganda’s Budongo Forest are showing signs of remarkable medical knowledge, not just for themselves but for others in their group as well.
Scientists studying two communities of chimpanzees, known as Sonso and Waibira, have discovered that these primates use medicinal plants to treat injuries.
What’s even more surprising is that they don’t only care for their own wounds—they sometimes help others too. This finding could provide important clues about how our human ancestors might have first begun to practice basic medical care.
The research, led by Dr. Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford, was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
Dr. Freymann and her team observed these chimpanzees for four months, also drawing on video evidence and decades of data from the Great Ape Dictionary database.
They identified several types of plants that the chimpanzees used for wound care.
Many of these plants are known for their healing properties in traditional medicine, suggesting that chimpanzees may understand their medicinal benefits instinctively or through learning from each other.
During their observations, the researchers recorded 12 injuries in the Sonso community, most of which resulted from conflicts within the group.
In the Waibira community, five injuries were noted, including one caused by a snare. In both communities, chimpanzees were seen using various methods to treat wounds.
These included licking wounds to remove debris, pressing saliva-coated fingers onto injuries, dabbing leaves onto wounds, and chewing plant materials before applying them to cuts. This kind of self-care was observed 34 times during the study.
But the truly astonishing behavior was the care chimpanzees provided to others, which the researchers call “prosocial care.” Seven instances of this were documented, including four cases of wound treatment, two of snare removal, and one of hygiene help.
This care was not limited to family members; on four occasions, chimpanzees helped others who were not genetically related. According to Dr. Freymann, this behavior suggests that chimpanzees recognize pain and suffering in others and take action to help, even when there is no direct benefit to themselves.
Interestingly, more cases of prosocial care were observed in the Sonso community compared to Waibira.
Dr. Freymann believes this might be due to the Sonso group being more familiar with human observers, making their behaviors easier to document. She also notes that the high risk of injury from snares set by humans might encourage more cooperation and care among the Budongo chimpanzees.
While the findings are groundbreaking, Dr. Freymann acknowledges that there are still many questions to answer.
For example, it remains unclear what specific medicinal properties the plants used by the chimpanzees have, and more research is needed to understand why some chimpanzees provide care while others do not.
These observations offer a glimpse into the roots of medicine and health care, suggesting that the instinct to heal and help others might not be exclusive to humans.
As scientists continue to explore this behavior, we may learn even more about the evolutionary origins of compassion and medical care.
Source: Frontiers.
