Are chimpanzees turning into doctors?
Imagine if chimpanzees could become doctors. They would learn how to help other chimpanzees and animals when they get sick. It seems like a crazy idea, but something similar is happening!
Scientists have seen chimpanzees eat plants to heal themselves. It's like they're taking care of their own health. The findings were shared in the PLOS One journal.
What has been observed?
Scientists observed many chimpanzees in a forest in Uganda to study how they behave when they are feeling well and unwell.
Scientists saw that when chimpanzees were sick or hurt, they ate plants that were not part of their regular food. They checked these plants and found they had medicinal properties.
Did we see this in action?
A chimpanzee hurt its hand and was seen eating leaves from a plant that might reduce pain and swelling.
Another chimpanzee with a parasitic infection was seen eating tree bark, which other chimpanzees don't usually eat. Tests showed the bark can help stop infections.
This is super cool!
Scientists behind the study said that there are many diseases that are becoming a huge problem for humans.
They want to see if the plants that chimpanzees use as medicine can also help in developing new medicines for humans.
The scientists also mentioned that we should protect forests to help save not only chimpanzees but also other animals. These efforts will help all species on the planet, including ours.
