Orangutan Uses Medicinal Plant to Heal Wound in First-Ever Observation

Scientists have witnessed an amazing sight in the wild: an orangutan seemingly treating its own injury with a medicinal plant. This behavior, observed in Indonesia, marks the first time a wild animal has been documented applying a plant directly to a wound.

While scientists have previously seen animals like primates eating or rubbing plants on themselves, possibly to ward off illness or discomfort, this incident involving an orangutan named Rakus is unique. Researchers studying Rakus in Indonesia's Gunung Leuser National Park noticed an open wound on his face. Just three days later, they observed him interacting with a specific vine called Fibraurea tinctoria. This plant is known for its medicinal properties and has been used in traditional medicine for a long time.

The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, details how Rakus "began chewing the leaves without swallowing them and using his fingers to apply the plant juice from his mouth directly onto his facial wound." He even went further, "smearing the entire wound with the plant pulp until the red flesh was fully covered with the green leaf material" when flies approached the injury. The next day, Rakus was again seen eating the vine's leaves, and within a week, his wound had completely healed without any signs of infection.

This discovery sheds new light on the intelligence and potential self-care practices of orangutans. Rakus's behavior suggests he may have understood the healing properties of the plant and deliberately used it to treat his wound. This opens up fascinating possibilities about how animals in the wild might utilize natural resources for their own well-being.