From Kate Phillipson, Prestbury, Gloucestershire, UK
The interview with Jaap de Roode made me wonder why people are surprised that animals do things to treat their ailments. Many have been around a lot longer than us and they have developed an understanding of the healing properties of plants, etc. Humans sought cures for the basic reason that they wanted to survive, so why shouldn’t animals? And plants, for that matter. Sadly, people, particularly in the West, have lost a lot of the knowledge of what plants can do to help health, but animals, through necessity, are still using the natural pharmacy around them (22 March, p 34).
