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For centuries, humans have turned to natural remedies like medicinal plants to treat various ailments, and animals do the same. This widespread behavior even has a name: zoopharmacognosy. Whether it involves plants, other animals, or even discarded items, creatures do what they must to stay healthy. This behavior spans many species, from insects to large mammals. Below are some of the most remarkable examples.
10. Elephants
Just like humans, animals care deeply for their offspring, though the level of care varies across species. They also strive to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Pregnant animals use plants in much the same way that human mothers use medications.
There are many reasons why some animals may seek to hasten their pregnancy, including preventing birth defects or easing the physical strain on the mother. African elephants, for example, are known to consume plants that are also used by humans to induce labor. The long elephant gestation period can wear down the mother, and sometimes, even without medical urgency, these creatures simply want the pregnancy to end.
9. “Geophagy”
As mentioned earlier, the entire phenomenon of animal self-medication has a specific name. Yet, some animals take it a step further with more specialized techniques that help them relieve discomfort. These practices are common enough that they've earned their own terms. While they may seem strange, they offer tangible benefits to the creatures who use them.
Many animals self-medicate by being selective about their diet. For instance, apes and elephants practice geophagy, which involves eating soil and rocks. This behavior brings a host of advantages, such as improving digestive health, supplementing missing nutrients, and more. The next time you see an animal munching on dirt, don't dismiss it as an oddity; consider the possible medicinal reasons behind it.
8. House Sparrows and Finches
While many instances of animal self-medication involve plants or other creatures, animals are incredibly inventive and will make use of whatever they can find in their surroundings to stay healthy. Some even turn to human-made waste to serve their medical needs.
Birds now frequently live in environments dominated by humans and their waste. Surprisingly, this can sometimes be beneficial to the animals. Research suggests that house sparrows and finches often incorporate discarded cigarette butts into their nests, as the nicotine in the butts helps keep mites away. A bird free from mites is undoubtedly healthier. While it's still best not to carelessly discard cigarettes, it’s fascinating to see how animals can adapt and use human waste to their advantage in maintaining their health.
7. Wood Storks and Starlings
A single plant can be used to alleviate multiple ailments and benefit various species. This is similar to how humans can replicate the self-medicating habits of animals to treat different conditions. Such is the case with two bird species exhibiting similar behaviors despite their differences in appearance.
Though wood storks and starlings may look quite different, both share the same goal: staying healthy and free of infection. Starlings use herbs to treat skin conditions like ulcers, sores, and eczema. Meanwhile, wood storks take advantage of the starlings' abandoned nests, filling them with the same plants. This behavior improves both their own health and that of their offspring. Humans have also caught on to these benefits, as pharmacists use herbs similar to those selected by these birds in their own skin treatments. It’s a medicinal cycle benefiting three different species simultaneously.
6. Orangutans
Just like humans, animals also suffer from tired limbs, especially those who constantly carry their babies. Apes, being clever creatures, have discovered ways to ease their discomfort.
Orangutans, for instance, have developed a technique to relieve the strain of carrying their young through the jungle. The mothers—and sometimes the males—chew the leaves of a medicinal plant and create a paste, which they rub on their sore arms like a soothing balm. Any weary human mother would surely understand the reasoning behind this behavior.
5. Wood Ants
Many animals live in social groups or colonies, cooperating to benefit one another. Insects, like the honeybee, provide a well-known example of such behavior. Ants also build colonies, and they exhibit behaviors that promote the health of the entire group.
Living in close-knit groups can increase the spread of diseases. Wood ants, being susceptible to pathogens, use conifer resin in their nests to combat parasites and harmful microorganisms. This collective health strategy strengthens the colony, much like how a human community might vaccinate its members to prevent disease. Ants living in resin-coated nests are less likely to fall ill.
4. Woolly Bear Caterpillars
Some animals may appear to lack the mental capacity for self-medication. However, even the smallest of creatures, including insects, are capable of improving their health. A notable example was observed in a study involving woolly bear caterpillars.
Most animals seem instinctively aware of what they can find in their surroundings to enhance their health. In this study, the caterpillars specifically foraged for plants that contained toxins capable of killing parasitic tachinid flies. This small insect proves that nearly any creature can engage in self-medicating behavior.
3. Sheep
Parasite infestations are a frequent reason behind many animals’ self-medicating behaviors. Sheep, for instance, will instinctively seek out food that helps keep them healthy and free of infections when left to their own devices.
Sheep are typically protected by a shepherd, but there are certain natural instincts that should be allowed to play out. When infected with parasites, sheep instinctively consume foods rich in tannins to rid themselves of the invaders. There's even evidence suggesting that this behavior may be passed on to lambs, as they too seek out tannin-rich foods, indicating an innate understanding of how to prevent infection. While not known for their high intelligence, sheep demonstrate enough foresight to take charge of their own health.
2. Chimpanzees
As close genetic relatives to humans, apes are often the focus of zoopharmacognosy research, as their behaviors may be more directly applicable to human health. Orangutans aren’t the only apes that self-medicate; chimpanzees also engage in similar practices.
Chimpanzees are intelligent animals, so it may not be surprising that they know how to soothe their own ailments. In Africa, they consume the same bitter pith that local people use to treat nematode infections. While it’s unclear which species began using the plant first, it’s evident that both chimpanzees and humans can use it to treat the same health issue.
1. Monarch Butterflies
Woolly bear caterpillars aren't the only insects capable of improving their health. Given their short lifespans, these creatures must enhance their chances of survival in every way possible. The graceful monarch butterfly serves as another example of an insect that practices self-medication.
Parasites are a widespread issue for many species, including butterflies. Monarch butterflies consume milkweed because it contains substances that fight off the parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha. By doing so, they not only boost their own survival but also that of their offspring.
