Orangutan Treats Wound With Medicinal Plant:
An orangutan named Rakus in Sumatra (Indonesia) treated a facial wound with a medicinal plant called Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria).Scientists say they’ve observed an orangutan named Rakus appearing to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant. It’s the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild
- This is the first documented instance of a great ape using a tool with medicinal properties to treat a wound.
- The plant is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties.
- Rakus’ behaviour suggests that wound treatment may have originated in a common ancestor of humans and orangutans.
- Great apes belong to the taxonomic family Hominidae within the primate superfamily Hominoidea.
- Bonobo (Pan paniscus); Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes); Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei); Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), and orangutans (Pongo) are referred to as great apes due to their large size and humanlike features.
