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Elephants Mix Their Own Medicines for Calves in Kenya
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Elephants Prepare Medicinal Mixtures for Calves
Researchers observed mother elephants around Mount Elgon in western Kenya chewing specific roots and leaves, then blending the resulting paste with their breast milk to feed sick calves. The behavior was described as a deliberate, measured process rather than random foraging, indicating that the animals actively create and administer treatments to members of their own species.
Study Details and Key Findings
The investigation was led by Dr Fabien Schultz of the Bernard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. Field work documented the use of at least 35 distinct plant species, along with four types of soils, minerals, or clays, in the elephants’ therapeutic regimen. Visible signs of illness prompted the elephants to seek out particular plants, many of which have documented antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, or antiparasitic properties in Indigenous traditional medicine. Earlier Kenyan reports noted that pregnant elephants consume leaves from the Boraginaceae family to induce labor and ease postpartum symptoms. A separate 2025 study of African forest elephants in Gabon found that individuals with heavier parasite loads preferentially ate banana stems and papaya, both known to contain anti-parasitic compounds.
Cultural and Scientific Context
Local scouts, national-park rangers, and community elders were the first to notice the practice, which aligns with the region’s long-standing knowledge of elephant behavior. Christopher Powles, Chair of the Mount Elgon Foundation, highlighted that the findings reinforce the elephants’ reputation for culturally complex activities, such as mining mineral-rich caves with their tusks. The Mount Elgon Foundation facilitated the collaboration between Kenyan observers and the German research team.
Conservation Significance
The study warns that habitat loss could deprive elephants of essential medicinal resources, threatening both individual health and broader biodiversity. Preserving the forested slopes of Mount Elgon—an extinct volcano straddling the Kenya-Uganda border—is therefore critical for maintaining the ecological knowledge embedded in elephant populations.
Ongoing and Planned Research
Scientists at the Bernard Nocht Institute are conducting laboratory analyses of the identified plants to pinpoint their pharmacological properties. This work aims to deepen understanding of non-human medicinal practices and may inform future conservation strategies that protect the natural sources of these plant medicines.