Wounded but Not Alone: How Chimps Heal Each Other

Chimpanzees are known for their intelligence and social bonds, but recent studies show they can also perform first aid on each other. In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, researchers watched chimps licking wounds, applying chewed leaves, and even removing snares for their peers. This behavior was seen in both related and unrelated chimps. In one case, a male chimp freed a female caught in a rope trap, a rare example of caring behavior far beyond survival instincts.

Scientists looked through thirty years of field notes and eight months of observation, recording 34 acts of self-care and seven examples of one chimp helping another. During self-care, chimps might lick a wound clean or dab leaves onto it. In more complex cases, they chewed plant material and then pressed it onto injured skin, almost like applying medicine. One young chimp, KO, was seen chewing bark and leaves to treat his knee.

“Chimpanzee wound care encompasses several techniques, direct wound licking, leaf dabbing, and chewing plant materials and applying them directly to wounds,” said Dr. Freymann, the study’s lead researcher. This is not just simple hygiene. Scientists point out that saliva and some leaves contain compounds that fight bacteria and reduce pain or swelling.

What makes this behavior particularly human-like is when chimps treat others. In one scene, two juvenile males were seen licking each other’s wounds, even though this could spread infection. In another, unrelated chimps helped each other escape snares and cleaned wounds with leaves. These acts suggest empathy or kindness. One researcher noted that chimps appear to recognize the need or suffering in others and take deliberate action to help, even when there is no direct genetic advantage.

Indirect reports reveal other examples. A chimp named Kirabo applied chewed bark to his wound while another watched and learned. Young females have been seen imitating their mothers by chewing leaves for treatment. One news story indirectly noted that this caring behavior may be passed on through social learning rather than instinct alone.

This kind of healthcare behavior from non-human animals is rare but not unique. In the 1990s, chimpanzees in Gabon were observed using crushed insects, some of which may have antiseptic properties, on both their own and others’ wounds. That study recorded 76 cases over 15 months, including somewhere unrelated chimps that shared treatment. This shows that chimps can use more than plants; they are experimenting with insects too, demonstrating a broader tool kit for healing.

These findings help scientists trace the roots of human medicine. If chimps can do basic wound care, recognize suffering, and pass on techniques, maybe early humans learned the same way. Dr. Freymann commented that this research “helps illuminate the evolutionary roots of human medicine and healthcare systems.” It is a reminder that empathy and cooperative care may have been with us long before our ancestors invented tools or built permanent shelters.

In summary, chimpanzees in Uganda not only tend to their injuries but also help each other by licking wounds, applying chewed leaves, and removing snares. They learn from observing others, showing that medical knowledge can be shared across chimp generations. This caring behavior, seen in both kin and non-kin, points to empathy and cooperation in our distant cousins and offers clues to the earliest beginnings of human healthcare.