Can Animals Use Medicine?

Did you know that humans aren’t the only animals who use medicine to feel better? In this video, Alex Dainis explains how animals ranging from chimps and elephants to bees and lizards have been observed self-medicating in some way. In particular, chimpanzees and orangutans are known to use ointments from medicinal plants to treat cuts and wounds. Recently, a Sumatran Orangutan was seen picking and chewing leaves from an Ilana Vine, a plant with known pain- and fever-reducing properties, before applying the leaves to a wound on its face. Such behaviors in chimps and orangutans could be traced to our most recent common ancestor. This fascinating behavior shows how important it is to protect our living world so we can learn more about our closest animal relatives!