Animals administering first aid

Did you know that many wild animals have ways to administer first aid?

For example, mice may tug on the tongues of their unconscious brethren and clear their mouths to help open their airways.

Elsewhere, chimpanzees with intestinal parasites munch on bitter leaves from the Aspilia [ass-PILL-ee-ya] plant, and brown bears eat razor-sharp grass to help clear tapeworms.

Closer to home, some urban songbirds weave cigarette butts into their nests to leverage tobacco’s mite-killing properties.

Even termite-hunting African ants have impressive first-aid routines. During their large-scale raids, those injured by termites are carried back to their nests, where caretaker ants lick their wounds with antibiotic-rich saliva.

These are just some of the many ways animals take care of their own.