Scientists discover chimpanzees use medicinal leaves to treat wounds, help others

Chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest have been observed treating their own wounds — and those of others — using medicinal plants, in a discovery that researchers say offers crucial insights into the evolutionary roots of human healthcare.

The study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, details 41 cases of wound care among two chimpanzee communities, Sonso and Waibira, including seven instances of prosocial care — where chimpanzees treated unrelated individuals.

These behaviours included licking wounds, applying chewed leaves, and dabbing plant matter, often using species with proven antimicrobial or healing properties.

“This is one of the first studies to systematically document self-medication and caregiving in wild chimpanzees using medicinal plants,” said lead researcher Dr Elodie Freymann of the University of Oxford. “It expands our understanding of the cognitive and social foundations of human health behaviours.”

Chimpanzees were seen cleaning genitals and wiping themselves with leaves — hygiene behaviours potentially preventing infection.

Injuries in the chimpanzees, often from snares or group conflicts, were treated without human intervention, and all observed individuals recovered.

Remarkably, four of the seven prosocial cases involved care for non-relatives, suggesting possible altruistic tendencies or social strategies to form alliances.

The findings have implications for conservation.

As habitats shrink and snares threaten populations, preserving access to medicinal plants and understanding natural behaviours like self-care could inform protective strategies for endangered primates.

Researchers call the Budongo site an invaluable location for studying zoopharmacognosy — the scientific term for animal self-medication — and plan further work in South America.