A study of nearly 45 chimpanzees in Loango National Park in Gabon has documented for the first time that animals hunt insects and treat their injuries with them, UPI reported.
This was found by scientists from the University of Osnabrück, Germany and the Ozunga project to study chimpanzees. The results of the study were published in the journal Carent Biology.
“The video shows the chimpanzee Susie first looking at the leg of the injured son, then seeming to think, ‘What can I do?'” said Alessandra Mascaro, a volunteer in the Ozuga project in Gabon.
“Self-medication, in which individuals use parts of plants or non-nutrients to fight pathogens and parasites, has been observed in many animal species, including insects, reptiles, birds and mammals,” said cognitive biologist Simone Pica, who led the study.
“People use many types of insects as a cure for various diseases – there are many studies that suggest that insects may have antibiotic, antiviral and anthelmintic functions,” said Pika.
She explained that chimpanzees also ingest leaves of plants with anthelmintic properties and chew bitter leaves that kill intestinal parasites.
During their one-year observation, the researchers recorded 22 cases in which the observed group of chimpanzees inflicted open wounds with insects, mainly of flying species. In most cases, they heal their wounds, but often try to help other chimpanzees.
