Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff, Lauren Vogebong. Here, you've probably seen stories about exemplary bravery and battles soldiers and volunteers who risk everything to pull injured compatriots out of harm's way so they can receive
much needed medical attention. But some of these heroes will never receive any medals, parades, or commendations for their work, not because of injustice, but because their ants, a species called megapona analysis are termite hunting ants that scientists say not only rescue injured comrades but also treat their wounds. The survival rate among those injured in this combat is remarkable. Up to These ants live in colonies in sub Saharan
Africa that average nearly one thousand members. The ants wage war on termites, raiding their nests and dragging the dead back behind the lines as a source of food. These raids, however, often come at a heavy price. The termites bite and crush the ants, ripping off limbs and snapping off heads.
Eric Frank, a scientists at the University of Lausan in Switzerland, has studied these ants and seen them do battle with termites at a research station in the Comaway National Park, one of the largest protected areas in West Africa in northern code Duvois. He would watch the ants drag the injured back to their nest. But because the ants make their homes underground, it was difficult to divine exactly what happened next. So Frank and his team set out to
discover what was happening inside the nest. First, they captured entire ant colonies and set them up in artificial nests. They then hooked up infrared cameras to keep tabs on the insects. The scientists also captured termites and then allowed the ants to stage a raid. Many ants were gravely injured during the melee, many lost limbs. They're able bodied. Comrades responded by staging a battlefield triage, separating the gravely
wounded from the only slightly wounded. The seriously injured. Those who lost at least five limbs often died on the battlefield because, as the researchers noted, they didn't seem to want to be helped. That bend and distort their bodies, making it difficult halt for their sisters in arms to carry them to safety. Those whose wounds were less serious, however, allowed themselves to be cared for. Once back at the nest, the healthy ants set up an aid station where they
tended to the wounded, licking their injuries. Ants who did not receive this treatment had a chance of dying within twenty four hours after the battle. Those who were treated had a survival rate of up to and lived to fight another day, to the benefit of the whole community. Frank and his team theorized that the licking saves lives by preventing the onset of infection. Today's episode was written
by John Partano and produced by Tyler Clay. For more on this and lots of other Valiant topics, visit our home planet, toustaff works dot com.