Animals use the forest as a pharmacy

Animals like cats or dogs eat grass to help their digestion, while wild species use natural substances in order to prevent diseases or to prevent getting parasites. This behavior is called animal self-medication, or more formally “zoopharmacognosy”. There are also other behaviors such as the consumption of medicinal plants, soil, or the application of substances to the body. That might be a bit surprising, but for example consuming dirt is also really important for some of the wild animals, since it’s the source of many minerals which are helpful in the process of digestion.

There was an expedition to Brazil recently taking place and it was discovered that Cabreúva which is locally known for its great anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic functions. It is found that it is a resource that could help the species that use it to maintain their populations by improving their health and increasing their reproductive success. In my opinion that is such an important discovery, because it could help with conservation of nature and have its positive impact on survival of some kinds of animal species.

Source: https://theconversation.com/when-monkeys-use-the-forest-as-a-pharmacy-190944