A recent study published in Scientific Reports revealed that scientists in Indonesia observed a Sumatran orangutan named Rakus intentionally treating his facial wounds with a local herb called Akar Kuning. Rakus chewed leaves from the climbing plant and rubbed the juice onto his cheeks, then applied the chewed leaves directly to the wound. Akar Kuning is known for its medicinal properties and is used to treat various diseases like dysentery, diabetes, and malaria.
The research team, led by Isabelle Laumer from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, was excited by this observation, which took place in Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia. While some wild primates use medicinal plants, the scientists had never seen them use them to treat new wounds. Rakus appeared to intentionally use the plant to heal his wound, applying the leaves multiple times over several minutes, making it the first example of proactive wound healing with a plant in a large primate.
Researchers believe that Rakus may have learned this behavior by accident, possibly from accidentally touching the wound while eating leaves and feeling the pain subside. They speculate that the behavior might have originated from a common ancestor between humans and orangutans. The team plans to further investigate injured orangutans in the area to see if this behavior is repeated and hopes to draw attention to the endangered status of orangutans in the wild.
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