Uganda Chimpanzees Help Each Other Through First Aid

Over the past few months, Sonso chimpanzees in Budongo Forest, Uganda, have figured out how to help each other’s wounds using techniques involving insects and plants. They are the closest species to humans, so it is no surprise that they have developed the ability to heal injuries this quickly.

Sonso chimps have been living next to a mill in Budongo since 1990, and they are still undergoing scientific study of their behavior as part of the Sonso community. Budongo Forest is around 825 kilometers and contains 600–700 chimpanzees. Chimps are social animals, so they generally live and move in groups, mostly small ones, during the day. Many chimpanzees tend to get hurt throughout the day, and others will try to help them get better.

In 2021, Dr. Freymann studied the chimps in the forest and observed firsthand that they were applying chewed-up leaves and plants to aid in the healing of their wounds. Dr. Freymann and her team researched the history of chimps and their medicine as well as their ability to provide first aid for others. Soon, researchers discovered 34 types of ways to treat their injuries. Some simple ways were licking the wound or keeping clean with leaves. However, other ways include chewed plants being spread across the cut. Some chimps’ spit even has healing properties, like not getting the wound infected.

Not only do the chimpanzees help themselves, but they also tend to heal their fellow chimps. Studies show a male chimp sucking on the leg of a younger chimp and an adult chewing up the plant as her child repeats the action. However, chimps also tend to others who are not their family. Researchers have seen a male chimp helping an unrelated female who was stuck in a rope trap. Viewers believe that these behaviors may be from instinct, but others believe that chimps adapted the behavior from other chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees are truly amazing animals, and it is a miracle that they have mastered the art of first aid. They might even learn how to fly without a plane before us!