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Sumatran Orangutan in Indonesia Uses Medicinal Plant to Treat Wound, a Scientific First

May 2, 2024, 04:50 PM

For the first time, scientists in Indonesia have observed a wild Sumatran orangutan treating a wound with a medicinal plant. The orangutan, identified as Rakus, was seen using chewed leaves from the Akar Kuning plant, a known climbing plant used in traditional medicine with pain-relieving properties, to treat a large wound on his cheek below his eyelid. This behavior, documented in a recent study published in Nature's Scientific Reports, marks the first recorded instance of a wild animal using a plant with scientifically proven medicinal properties to self-medicate a fresh wound.