General · 24 September 2026
This animal uses 35 plants for medicine, researchers say
Photo by Jonathan Ridley on Unsplash
Scientists discovered that African elephants inhabiting Kenya's Mount Elgon region self-medicate and care for their kin with a variety of medicinal plants. New research suggests elephants use 35 plant species, with 25 known locally for medicinal purposes. Accounts from local people described elephant mothers giving medicinal plants like Angurweet to their calves.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs