Orangutan: ‘Medicine Man’ of the Jungle Discovers Own Remedy for Wounds with Local Herb

In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, scientists in Indonesia discovered that a Sumatran orangutan named Rakus intentionally treated his facial wounds with a local herb called Akar Kuning. Rakus chewed leaves from a climbing plant and applied the juice to his cheeks, then rubbed the chewed leaves directly onto the wound. Akar Kuning is known for its medicinal properties and is used to treat various diseases such as 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, this was the first time they had seen them use them to treat new wounds. Rakus appeared to be intentionally using the plant to heal his wound, applying the leaves multiple times over several minutes.

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 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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