Accounts from local experts revealed that wild elephants used more than 35 plants, many of which have known medicinal uses

🌐 Here's What Happened

African elephants use dozens of different medicinal plants to treat themselves and their families when they are sick.

This is the conclusion of a study which interviewed people who live and work alongside the elephants in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya.

These particular animals have long intrigued scientists with their extraordinary behaviour - they are known as salt-mining elephants, because they go into caves and scrape the rock with their tusks to extract minerals for their diet.

📌 Key Details

This newly published research suggests that the same elephants use several different plant species in the forest for medicinal purposes.

Camera traps set up by the Mount Elgon Foundation captured the elephants 'mining' for salt in caves, to supplement their diet

One of the lead researchers, Dr Elodie Freymann from Brown University in the US, said the study raised the question of whether destruction of forest habitat deprives animals - and humans - of the medicines they need to thrive.

"This shows just how entangled our medicines are with the non-human world," Dr Freymann told BBC News.

The researchers say the forests are 'natural pharmacies' for the elephants

The scientists collaborated with the conservation charity the Mount Elgon Foundation , external . They interviewed local people, including wildlife scouts and community elders.

📰 Source: BBC Africa