A young biologist's account of observing the Matabele ants–warriors and healers–in the Ivorian savannah.

Erik Franks has an amazing tale to tell of the Matabele ants deep in Comoé National Park in Ivory Coast, a country only now emerging from civil war. At times warriors, at other times healers, they strategize their battles but also bring their wounded comrades back to care for them. More than any other behavior, this drew Frank's attention: the ants' efficiency in treating their peers. What if their secret panacea was the foundation of a new class of antibiotics?
A must-read tale of adventure and an introduction to tropical biology!