Zoos, animal sanctuaries and other captive animal facilities are often associated with large enclosures, qualified guardians to look after the animals and animals whose needs are being effectively met. While these factors are critical to animal well-being and healing, a new area in captive animal care in South Africa is emerging which promises an expanded idea of care: zoopharmacognosy.
This complex topic investigates animals’ self-medicative behaviours and the potential use of certain plant materials and minerals to improve their physical and psychological health. Traditionally, enrichment has centred on providing animals with the right food and habitats to enhance natural behaviours, but now that we are more aware of non-human sentience and the deeper needs of animals, we are compelled to improve the quality of their care.
The Captive Animal Enrichment Project (CAEP) in South Africa acknowledges animals’ natural ability to self-select beneficial compounds based on their individual needs. However, these plant materials and minerals are not readily available in captive environments, so we bring them in and empower animals to choose what they need for optimal health.
CAEP acknowledges the innate wisdom present in animals which has meant that they have developed an understanding of how to use their natural environments to support their well-being, and ensured their survival (in their natural habitats) over millions of years. CAEP gives animals proximity to the elements that would be present if they were free and living where they belonged, we give freedom of choice back to captive animals in need of healing.
Nature is a pharmacy for healing
Consider a dog choosing to ingest grass or an elephant intentionally ingesting clay from a specific location, these are not consumed for their nutritive value and these behaviours are not random. Zoopharmacognosy understands the natural principle that animals have an innate grasp of the therapeutic properties of specific plants, plant materials, minerals and clays.
Although scientifically proving zoopharmacognosy is understandibly difficult, given that observers would have to follow free individual animals in their natural environments, understand what they are foraging for as well as keep track of the effects of these, mountains of anecdotal evidence has been published and scientific research in the area is on the steady increase.
Studies have proven that animals actively seek out plants that have anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, and digestive benefits. One such study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology (2023) documented chimpanzees in Gombe National Park routinely consuming plants with recognised anti-malarial properties.
Recently there have been a number of reports from the scientific community in regard to novel self-medicative behaviours being recorded – in May 2024, scientists observed an orangutan in Indonesia applying a paste made of plants to heal a large wound on his face (in record time). And again in June 2024 scientists reported observing a chimpanzee in Uganda who had an obvious physiological issue with his arm medicating on a fern while the rest of his group ate nutritive plant materials. Days later his arm had healed. They then took a sample of the same unknown fern and tested its constituents to find that it had potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Beyond the chimpanzees who are ‘in the know’, the discovery of these remedies growing wild is an obviously important discovery in relation to medicine for humans too! People living in more traditional societies have observed animal self-selection for generations and often derived their own remedies based on observation of the effects of these on animals, but written accounts are not typically kept within many of these cultures.
The distance between modern people and opportunities for us to observe these animal behaviours with contingency and contiguity also means we are generally lacking in our understanding of the topic. However, this is changing and humane ways to accurately and scientifically research zoopharmacognosy is an agenda being pushed by professionals in the field worldwide
As of 2002, 80% of people living in developing countries relied solely on plants for their medicinal requirements. Our modern Western culture of synthetic medicines, many of which are created to mimic active plant compounds, is not the ‘only way’, and as more and more people move to more natural ways of healing themselves, so too should we extend the same opportunities to the animals under our guardianship. The healing powers of certain plants and minerals in the wild are proof that nature contains its own pharmacy and that animals have evolved to instinctively know what to ingest in order to improve their physical and psychological health.
Reconnecting captive animals with natural healing
While captive environments provide protection and basic necessities, they often lack the natural diversity of flora and minerals that free animals have access to. This can cause deficits and limit the animals’ ability to self-medicate. The CAEP aims to fill this gap by supplying high-quality plant materials and minerals to animals in sanctuaries in South Africa. Our methods extend beyond basic enrichment. We intentionally present a range of options, allowing animals to self-select depending on their own requirements.
While these plant-based options can provide important nutrients, their value resides in their medicinal potential. Certain plant derivatives can help with digestion and gut disorders, which are frequent amongst captive animals since fear, stress and anxiety manifest in imbalances in the gut. Stress and anxiety are prolific psychological problems in these environments, and manifest in unnatural and negative behavioural problems and physiological manifestations of imbalance, just as it does in people. Some plants and derivatives contain anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties that reduce stress and help animals cope better with stressful captive environments.
We provide solutions for pain management; certain plant components have analgesic effects that may alleviate discomfort. This not only improves their physical wellbeing but also helps to alleviate stress. These are just a few examples, however plant remedies can be employed to ease the discomfort of countless other conditions from kidney disease to loss, separation and grief.
The future of animal care: A comprehensive approach
Zoopharmacognosy provides enormous promise for improving the welfare of captive animals. Organisations like CAEP can enable animals to manage their own health by incorporating this information into their care procedures. This complementary approach, combined with standard enrichment strategies and veterinary care, lays the groundwork for a future in which captive animals not only survive but thrive in their settings.
The CAEP is dedicated to furthering research in this area and giving animals the opportunity to heal themselves naturally. To do this, we need your support. Let us work together to create a peaceful cohabitation with animals and a safer, kinder world for every animal. Please contact us today if you’d like to donate or get involved.
