Chimpanzees Observed Applying Insects to Their Wounds

The chimps may be using insects as a kind of medicine. View in browser

Image credits: (c) Tobias Deschner/ Ozouga chimpanzee project Chimpanzees Observed Applying Insects to Their Wounds The chimps may be using insects as a kind of medicine. James Gaines, Contributor February 7, 2022       (Inside Science) -- Researchers working at the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project in Gabon have observed chimpanzees applying insects to the wounds of themselves and others, something they say nobody has ever seen before. The observation could be evidence of self-medication in the animals. The Ozouga project is located in Loango National Park in Gabon, a patchwork of thick forest, savanna, and coast home to a troop of about 45 chimpanzees that scientists have watched and studied for years. But in November 2019, volunteer Alessandra Mascaro saw something nobody with the project had ever seen before. Mascaro was filming the Ozouga chimpanzees, particularly one named Suzee. As she watched, Suzee approached her adolescent son, Sia, who had an open wound on one of his feet. Suzee looked at the wound then, suddenly, seemed to take something out of her mouth and apply it to the injury... Read more Copyright 2022 American Institute of Physics. Inside Science syndicates its articles, columns, blogs and videos to news organizations. To initiate syndication, or request permission to republish our content (on a one-time or continuing basis), please contact Inside Science at insidescience@aip.org. News organizations seeking permission to republish Inside Science content must fully credit Inside Science as the original source of the content, include the author byline, and republish the original, unaltered form (excluding content titles, headlines, or sub-headlines). The reprint format can be seen here. Copyright conditions and usage terms are subject to change at any time without consent or any type of prior notice. To unsubscribe from all future mailings from Inside Science please click here. To manage your email subscriptions please click here.

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