Wild Elephants in Kenya Utilize Over 30 Medicinal Plant Species

Wild African elephants in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya have been observed using over 30 different plant species for medicinal purposes, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. The research indicates that these animals, already known for their salt-mining behaviors in caves, actively select specific flora to treat illnesses within their families.

The findings are based on testimonies from local wildlife scouts and community elders who live and work alongside the herds. Researchers from Brown University and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine collaborated with the Mount Elgon Foundation to interview these experts. Of the 35 plant species identified, 25 are recognized in local traditional medicine as having therapeutic properties.

One particularly striking account described elephant mothers administering a plant known locally as Angurweet to their calves. A wildlife scout reported observing mothers chewing the leaves and roots into a smooth paste, sometimes mixing it with their own milk, before feeding it to young elephants. The calves reportedly chew the mixture and spit out the solid remnants. Angurweet is traditionally used to treat stomach ailments.

Dr. Elodie Freymann of Brown University emphasized the broader implications of the study. “This shows just how entangled our medicines are with the non-human world,” she told BBC News. She noted that habitat destruction not only threatens wildlife but could also deprive humans of future medical discoveries, describing forests as “natural pharmacies” that produce vital compounds.

Professor Michael Huffman, a primatologist at Nagasaki University who was not involved in the study, called the account of maternal care “tantalizing” but stressed the need for further evidence. To gather this, the team has provided cameras to local experts to record observed behaviors directly. Researchers are also analyzing the chemical properties of the plants to determine if they possess relevant biological activity for treating specific health conditions.

The practice of self-medication in elephants has historical precedence. Roman author Claudius Aelian described in his text De Natura Animalium, dating back to the early third century, an elephant that healed itself after being wounded by consuming olive flowers and oil.

Dr. Fabien Schultz, another lead researcher on the project, stated that local knowledge has provided a roadmap for their investigation. The team now aims to verify whether elephants select specific plants during particular health contexts and to validate the medicinal efficacy of these botanical remedies.