Orangutan Discovers Medicinal Herb to Treat Wounds: A Groundbreaking Find in Indonesia

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists in Indonesia have observed a Sumatran orangutan named Rakus intentionally using a local herb called Akar Kuning to treat his facial wounds. Rakus chewed leaves from the climbing plant and applied the juice directly to his cheeks, then rubbed the chewed leaves onto his 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 thrilled by this observation, which took place in Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia. While some wild primates use medicinal plants to treat wounds, this is 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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