Orangutan uses plant to heal itself

For the first time ever, a wild animal has been recorded using a medicinal plant to self-treat. A Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia named Rakus had a large wound on his face. Researchers believe he sustained the wound when he was fighting with other male orangutans.

Rakus was later seen chewing the stem and leaves of a plant called Akar Kuning, an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial plant which is used to treat malaria and diabetes. After making the plant into a paste, Rakus then applied it to the wound for seven minutes and smeared it on until the wound was completely covered in the plant paste. Within five days, the would had closed and there was no sign of infection, and within a month, the wound was healed.

Biologist and lead author of the research at the Max Planck institute in Germany, Dr. Isabella Laumer explained, “He repeatedly applied the paste, and he later also applied more solid plant matter. The entire process lasted really a considerable amount of time - that’s why we think that he intentionally applied it.”

Scientists knew that great apes sometimes use medicine to heal themselves, but had never seen them directly apply plants as a topical medicine on a wound. Dr. Laumer hypothesized that Rakus may have accidentally touched the wound with the finger that had the plant on it and noticed its pain-relieving powers and decided to apply more. She also says he could have seen other orangutans doing it and learned it from them. The researchers will now be watching orangutans closely to see if any others repeat Rakus’ behavior.

“They are our closest relatives and this again points towards the similarities we share with them,” said Laumer. “We are more similar than we are different.”