Why do Chimps Eat Dirt?

Who: Chimpanzees.

What: Researchers studied chimps to find out why they eat dirt. Apparently, these animals have a good reason for eating dirt; it improves their health. According to research team led by Sabrina Krief, chimps eat dirt because "eating soil with their meals boosts the anti-malarial properties of plants the chimps eat." This means that the chance of a chimp getting a disease, like malaria, through a plant that they eat is slimmer than it usually would be. In other words, eating soil and plants one after the other will help boost a chimpanzee's health. So while devouring dirt as part of a meal may seem disgusting to us, to chimps it is a very healthy way of life.
When: The article was posted on the website below today, January 11th, 2008. However, the story will be published on an online journal sometime next week.

Where: Soil samples were taken and chimps' eating habits were studied at the Kibale National Park in Uganda.

Why: Scientists and researchers were interested and fascinated by the fact that chimpanzees eat soil either right before or after eating their normal meal of plants.

My Opinion: I thought this article was cool. First of all, I didn't even know that chimps ate soil in the first place. Second of all, I found it an odd and sort of random topic. Maybe that's why I chose to post a response about it on my blog! And third of all, chimpanzees are adorable and I love animals. =]

I found the article here.