They have rituals, they heal their wounds and clean up after sex. Chimpanzees aren't that different from humans in terms of body care
The study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, focused on two eastern chimpanzee communities in Uganda's Budongo Forest - Sonso and Waibira. The research team combined four months of intensive field observations with more than thirty years of previous records. The result is a detailed insight into the health and hygiene practices of these animals.
The researchers described a total of 23 cases of self-treatment. The chimpanzees licked their wounds, tapped them with leaves, squeezed them with their fingers and applied chewed plants to them. These often came from species with proven healing or antiseptic properties. Although it is unclear whether the chimpanzees were aware of the medicinal properties of the plants used, their choice suggests some intuitive knowledge of the surrounding natural environment.
When care goes beyond the self
The observed social dimension of this care is also interesting. Researchers have recorded instances of chimpanzees treating each other's wounds, removing foreign bodies from each other's eyes - and in one case, one male even wiped his mate's penis after intercourse. Such behaviour suggests that empathy or altruism may not be exclusively human traits.
"Animals in the wild are able to care for themselves and others in the event of illness or injury," said study co-author Dr Elodie Freymann. "These skills, previously thought to be exclusively human, are emerging as part of a broader spectrum of animal behaviour."
Evolutionary overlap
The study builds on previous findings on the use of natural medicines in the primate kingdom - for example, the use of insects to treat wounds in chimpanzees or the application of sap in orangutans. Experts say such observations may shed new light on the evolutionary roots of human healthcare. Dr Caroline Schuppli of Germany's Max Planck Institute, who was not involved in the study, said: "It is very likely that our common ancestors already had these cognitive abilities."
The research thus not only expands our knowledge of chimpanzees, but also encourages a rethinking of what makes humans human. Hygiene and caring for others may not have been born in human communities - but in the rainforest.
