FOREST elephants in western Africa are treating farms as pharmacies, according to new scientific research.
The wild animals have been frustrating farmers across Gabon due to a strange pattern of behaviour, whereby they come at night to chow down on stalks and leaves, while leaving ripe fruit uneaten but damaged.
This is rather baffling, given that the bananas and papaya that grow across the region offer high energy, while leaves contain far fewer calories.
Researchers now believe that the elephants are intentionally seeking out plant parts that support recovery.
Banana and papaya leaves contain chemicals known to fight parasites that can weaken digestion and energy use.
The researchers followed elephant trails after nighttime farm visits, collecting fresh dung samples and inspecting nearby plants for feeding choices.
A laboratory analysis found that higher parasite levels matched higher use of banana and papaya plants.
"I have no doubt elephants possess complex medicinal repertoires, and studies like this are an important step toward uncovering them," said Elodie Freymann, a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University.
Similar behaviour has been observed in Asia, with elephant caretakers reporting that they release the animals into the wild for a few weeks when they are ill, so they can go and find what they need to recover.
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