NEW PUBLICATION: Wild chimpanzees apply insects to open wounds!

What do birds, bees, elephants, and chimpanzees all have in common? They share a survival trait: They self-medicate. Along with a host of other animal taxa, these species are known to eat things that make them feel better by preventing disease, killing nasty parasites and/or aiding in digestion. Fur rubbing has also been noted in several species as a means to combat external parasites. However, until now there have been no reports of any non-human taxa applying animal matter to open wounds. Over the past two years our research team has made some incredible observations involving individuals of the Rekambo community applying insects onto their own open wounds and even onto the wounds of other group members! These novel findings are important to the feilds of research involving self-medication, medication and prosocial behaviors in non-human animals. Read the published paper (Applications of insects to wounds of self and others by chimpanzees in the wild) here: