Mount Elgon elephants use medicinal plants and could lead researchers to new medicines
A study of Mount Elgon elephants in Kenya suggests they use dozens of medicinal plants to treat themselves and their calves, and researchers hope the animals could lead them to undiscovered human medicines.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A new study has found that wild elephants in Kenya use medicinal plants to treat themselves when they are unwell and to care for their calves. The research focuses on elephants in the Mount Elgon region, which are already known as Kenya's salt mining elephants. The area is made up of montane forests and networks of caves.
Camera trap images show the elephants entering the caves at night and gouging salts and other minerals out of the rock. Researchers believe this behaviour supplements their diet. The latest study suggests the same elephants seek out dozens of different plant species to treat illness and sometimes give them to their young.
The study brought together researchers and local wildlife experts. Scientists interviewed eight people who have lived and worked alongside the elephants for decades. From those accounts and studies of the forest environment, the team identified 35 plant species that the elephants use. 25 of those plants are already known to have medicinal properties.
A researcher said the work is beginning to map out complicated interwoven vines that weave between species, in this case between humans and elephants. The study also points to the importance of protecting natural products, with one researcher saying the future of health care systems relies on that protection.
Researchers now want to find out whether the elephants could lead them to undiscovered medicines hidden in the forest habitat. Scientists hope the animals in East Africa could help identify medicinal plants that are not yet known to humans.
Key findings: - Mount Elgon elephants use caves at night to gouge salt and minerals from rock. - The study identified 35 plant species used by elephants, 25 of which are already known to have medicinal properties. - Researchers interviewed eight local people who have lived and worked alongside the elephants for decades. - The team hopes the animals could point to undiscovered human medicines.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| A study reported that sick wild elephants in Kenya use medicinal plants. | |
| Researchers interviewed eight people with decades of experience living and working alongside the elephants. | |
| The study counted 35 plant species used by the elephants, with 25 already known for medicinal properties. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West's coverage centred on Victoria Gill's science report from Mount Elgon. It highlighted the elephants' salt mining behaviour, the study's finding of 35 plant species, and the hope that the animals could lead researchers to undiscovered human medicines. The package was repeated across bulletins, with later versions adding a line about protecting natural products for future health care systems; the channel did not name the study's authors, journal, or include outside expert comment.
- “wild elephants in Kenya have been spotted using medicinal plants when they're unwell”
- “the researchers identified 35 different plant species that the elephants use. And 25 of those plants are already known to have medicinal properties”
- “if these remarkable animals could actually lead them to undiscovered medicines hidden in this forest habitat”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.