Orangutan self-medicates using wild plants, wound heals in a month

Rakus's wound healed efficiently within a month. (Photo: AP)

A Sumatran orangutan named Rakus has been observed using a medicinal plant to treat an injury on its cheek in a remarkable display of the the sophisticated health practices of animals in the wild.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany witnessed Rakus, an adult male orangutan, expertly utilising the leaves of Fibraurea tinctoria, locally known as Akar Kuning, to address a wound on his right cheek.

Isabelle Laumer, co-author of the study published in Scientific Reports, described this finding as unprecedented, stating, “This is the first time that we have observed a wild animal applying a quite potent medicinal plant directly to a wound.”

The discovery occurred in the Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, during a field study in June 2022. The researchers speculate that Rakus, likely born in 1989, sustained the injury during a territorial altercation with other male orangutans.

Subsequently, Rakus chewed the leaves of the medicinal plant and applied the resulting juices directly to his wound using his fingers, creating a natural bandage-like effect. He is also one of the alpha-males in the area.

The use of medicinal plants by animals for self-healing is a phenomenon that has intrigued scientists for decades.

Another co-author of the study suggested that Rakus might have acquired this behaviour from orangutans living outside the observed park area, highlighting the potential cultural transmission of medicinal practices among these primates.

The photographs captured during the study revealed that Rakus's wound healed efficiently within a month, showcasing the efficacy of his unique self-medication technique.

This behaviour is not unique to orangutans; other primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas have exhibited similar self-medicating behaviours using different plants to address various health issues.

Orangutans in Borneo have been known to rub themselves with juices from a medicinal plant, likely to chase away parasites or treat pain.

Chimpanzees have also been found chewing on the shoots of bitter-tasting plants to soothe their stomachs. Gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos also consume certain leaves whole to get rid of stomach parasites.