Chimpanzees Regularly Capture Insects and Apply Them onto Wounds biology science
, University of Osnabrück’s Dr. Simone Pika and colleagues report the first observations of chimpanzees applying insects to their own open wounds and to the wounds of conspecifics.
“Our two closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, for instance, swallow leaves of plants with anthelmintic properties and chew bitter leaves that have chemical properties to kill intestinal parasites.” , observed a chimpanzee named Suzee inspecting a wound on the foot of her adolescent son, Sia, catching an insect out of the air, putting it into her mouth, and then applying it onto the wound.Loango National Park“In the video, you can see that Suzee is first looking at the foot of her son, and then it’s as if she is thinking, ‘What could I do?’ and then she looks up, sees the insect, and catches it for her son,’” Mascaro said.