The Original Herbalists: How Chimpanzees Treat Their Own Par

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Ever watched a chimpanzee casually pluck a bitter, hairy leaf off a plant and gulp it down whole—like it’s some jungle version of a kale cleanse?

No? Well, scientists have. And let me tell you: it’s not lunch. It’s medicine.

Chimpanzees have been observed eating leaves that aren’t part of their regular diet—particularly from plants like Aspilia. These leaves are tough, bristly, and extremely bitter—basically the opposite of delicious. So why do they bother?

Because these leaves act like natural parasite bouncers, scraping and sweeping out nasty intestinal invaders as they pass through the digestive system. In other words, the chimps are flushing their gut like they’ve got an appointment with a detox tea ad on Instagram. Only this time, it actually works.

This isn’t some one-off behavior. It’s been documented in multiple chimp populations across Africa, particularly in Tanzania and Uganda. The practice has a name: zoopharmacognosy—which loosely translates to “animals knowing how to use medicine.” Chimps don’t just chew the leaves—they swallow them whole, rough edges and all, to maximize the scrubbing action in their guts.

And it’s not just parasites. Some chimps have been seen chewing the pith of certain plants that contain anti-inflammatory or antibacterial compounds. So while you’re over here Googling side effects of ibuprofen, a chimp is in the forest crafting a better health plan than your HMO.

This behavior likely developed over thousands of years. Chimps that figured out which leaves helped them recover had a better shot at surviving, reproducing, and teaching their offspring what to eat when their stomach starts doing flips. It’s not trial and error anymore—it’s tradition. Wild, leaf-munching tradition.

And let’s be honest: if you were covered in bugs and had a stomach full of parasites, you’d probably be willing to give jungle kale a try too.