This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Wild African elephants living in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya appear to seek out specific plants when unwell. Local experts also reported mothers administering plant-based "medicine" to their offspring.
These are the findings of a study published in Scientific Reports and conducted by the JRG Ethnopharmacology and Zoopharmacognosy at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM). The study was carried out in close collaboration with the Mount Elgon Foundation (MEF), Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, the East African Wild Life Society–Mount Elgon Elephant Project (EAWLS-MEEP), the National Museums of Kenya and other local partners. The team interviewed eight local experts who have lived and worked alongside elephants for decades and, for the first time, systematically documented which plants wild elephants appear to use for medicinal purposes.
Many of these plants also play a role in Indigenous traditional medicine. Previous studies reported antibacterial, anti-inflammatory or antiparasitic properties for some of these species. Since the 1970s, it has been known that animals can treat themselves.
For example, chimpanzees deliberately consume bitter leaves to combat intestinal parasites, and birds line their nests with insecticidal plants to deter anemia-causing mites. Scientists refer to this phenomenon as zoopharmacognosy. A few studies have suggested possible self-medication in elephants, particularly Asian elephants.
However, systematic investigations of African elephant species have been rare. The new BNITM study addresses this gap. Fabien Schultz, the team shifted the focus from zoo and laboratory studies to the natural environment of elephants on Mount Elgon, a biodiversity hotspot with exceptionally rich flora and mineral-rich cave systems.
Rather than disturb elephants in their habitat, the researchers relied on long-term observations by people who live alongside them: wildlife scouts, a former ranger, a retired agricultural officer who grew up on Mount Elgon and local community elders—all with more than 20 years of experience living in the area or working with elephant herds. In detailed, guideline-based talks called semi-structured interviews, they described which plants elephants consume when showing signs of illness and how local communities use these resources in traditional medicine. This traditional ecological knowledge of Mount Elgon's elephants, observed by EAWLS-MEEP staff and other members of the local community, suggests that some of these behaviors may be socially transmitted across generations.
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