Orangutan Intentional Wound Healing: A Groundbreaking Discovery in Animal Behavior

In a groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports, 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 applied the juice to his cheeks before rubbing the chewed leaves directly onto the wound.

The research team, led by Isabelle Laumer from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, was thrilled by this observation, which took place in Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia. While some wild primates use medicinal plants to treat injuries, this was the first time scientists had seen them intentionally use a plant to heal new wounds. Rakus appeared to apply the leaves multiple times over several minutes, making it an 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 his wound while eating leaves and feeling 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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