Rhinos using mud as sunblock and dogs licking themselves to stop an infection – we reveal the incredible ways animals take care of themselves

DID you know that elephants eat the leaves of the red seringa tree to induce labour?

Or that rhinoceroses use mud as sunblock?

New book Animal Doctors, by Mark Doran and Angie Trius, explores some of the incredible ways that animals heal themselves.

Here, NATASHA HARDING shares some of the best bits.

AFRICAN ELEPHANT

These sometimes eat the leaves of the red seringa tree to help them have a healthy birth.

One pregnant elephant walked 28 miles to find a suitable tree.

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African elephants don’t normally eat this type of tree but this particular one ate the whole thing and a few days later, gave birth to a healthy calf.

Tea from the leaves and bark of the red seringa tree seem to help humans give birth, too.

It is drunk by Kenyan women in order to kick-start labour.

BLUE JAY

The blue jay is one of more than 200 species of birds that practise “anting” – where the bird places live stinging ants among its feathers.

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Experts believe this helps the bird by acting as an antiseptic shampoo, keeping the parasites in its feathers under control.

Some jays will pick up ants in their beaks, rub the ants over their feathers and then eat the ants.

Others will open their wings and lie down over an active anthill, allowing ants to climb up on to them.

RHINOCEROS

Rhinos need to take good care of their skin as they’re sensitive creatures that suffer from sunburn and insect bites.

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Rhinos cannot sweat.

So mud, which is a natural sunblock, protects them from the sun’s harmful UV rays and also keeps them cool.

When it is hot, rhinos will wallow in mud for up to three hours.

CAPUCHIN MONKEY

These particularly intelligent monkeys rub their fur with at least four different plants to get rid of nasty parasites such as lice, fleas, ticks and mites.

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Different parts of the plants are used, including seed pods, leaves and the pulp and juice of fruits.

The plants – and the cocktail of chemicals they contain – are carefully selected for their medicinal properties.

The monkeys break up the selected plants with both hands and mix them with saliva before rubbing the blend over their bodies.

MACAW

Many of the plants and seeds eaten by macaws contain toxic substances, produced by the plants for their own protection.

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To neutralise these toxins and clean out their bodies, macaws are forced to consume clay – they will gather on exposed riverbanks and lick clay on a daily basis.

There is also evidence that the clay is consumed as a source of nutrients – particularly sodium which is scarce in the foods they eat.

DOGS

Dog saliva can kill bacteria so if a dog has a wound, they will lick it repeatedly to ward off infection.

Additionally, the mechanical action of rubbing a wound stimulates blood flow and improves the natural healing process.

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However, excessive licking can cause problems so vets often apply bandages or use collars to stop dogs from licking any injuries.

• Animal Doctors: Incredible Ways Animal Heal Themselves by Mark Doran and Angie Trius (published by Laurence King) is out now, priced at £10.95.