Scientists Discover African Elephants Self-Medicate Using Medicinal Plants

A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that African elephants in Kenya consume specific plants and minerals to self-medicate when unwell.

Local experts reported that 39 natural resources, including 35 plant species and four types of soil or clay, are used by elephants, with 87% overlapping with traditional human medicine.

Researchers noted that this pharmacological knowledge is transferred intergenerationally, with older elephants occasionally feeding medicinal plant parts to their offspring.