Orangutan seen treating wound with medicinal herb in first for wild animals https://t.co/lb4O2D3Sl3
— The Guardian (@guardian) May 2, 2024
A group of scientists studying orangutans in Indonesia have observed an orangutan treating his own facial wound with a the leaves of an Akar Palo vine (Fibraurea tinctoria), which is known to have "antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant, pain-killing and anticarcinogenic properties," and is used in traditional medicine. The Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed with a fresh facial wound below his eye, possibly from an encounter with another orangutan. Later, he was seen chewing the leaves of the vine and dabbing the juice on his wound. He finished up by sticking the chewed leaves on the wound. Five days later, the researchers saw that the wound had closed up.
This is the first time a wild animal has been seen using a known medicinal plant to treat a wound. Read about Rakus and his feat and what it could mean to the history of medicine at the Guardian. -via Damn Interesting