National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Chimps Eat Dirt, Leaves to Fend Off Malaria


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Chimpanzees in Uganda's Kibale National Park, like the one seen above eating a snack, also eat handfuls of dirt to "self medicate" against malaria, a new study suggests.

The chimps seek out mineral-rich soils before or after eating plants known to have medicinal compounds. The plants alone don't provide any health benefits, the researchers say, but the soils activate their anti-malarial properties.

Photograph by Oxford Scientific/Photolibrary/Getty Images