Orangutan Seen Treating Wound with Medicinal Herb in the Wild
Primatology
Thu 2 May 2024 17.00 CEST
Observations of Orangutan Medicinal Abilities
The high intelligence levels of orangutans have long been recognized, partially due to their practical skills, such as tool usage for seed retrieval and insect foraging. However, recent research has shed light on another remarkable skill possessed by the primates: the application of medicinal herbs to treat injuries.
The First Observation of Wound Treatment in Wild Animals
Scientists have witnessed a male Sumatran orangutan healing a facial wound by applying a combination of sap and chewed leaves from a plant known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Self-Medication in Wild Animals
While you may have heard of instances in which wild animals self-medicate, including Bornean orangutans rubbing arms and legs with chewed leaves or chimpanzees chewing plants to treat wounds or infections, this new discovery is the first documented evidence of a wild animal using a substance with known medicinal properties to treat open wounds.
Significance for Human Wound Care
By analyzing such behaviors in orangutans, researchers gain insight into the origins of human wound care, a practice that dates all the way back to a medical manuscript from 2200 BC.
Field Research with Wild Orangutans
The intriguing discovery was made in a protected rainforest in Indonesia, where researchers closely observed a male Sumatran orangutan called Rakus. The team noticed a fresh facial wound, likely stemming from an encounter with another male orangutan. Three days after the injury, Rakus was observed feeding on the leaves and stem of the medicinal Fibraurea tinctoria plant, a climbing vine.
A Unique Healing Process
During the feeding, Rakus engaged in an unexpected behavior. Thirteen minutes after starting to chew the plant’s leaves without swallowing, he used his fingers to directly apply the plant juice onto the wound. Rakus continued to repeat this action and eventually smeared the entire wound with the chewed leaves. Remarkably, after five days, the facial wound was closed, and within weeks, it healed, leaving only a small scar.
Properties of the Medicinal Plant
The specific medicinal plant used by Rakus contains various substances known for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant, pain-killing, and anticarcinogenic properties. Similar plants and liana species are used in traditional medicine to treat diseases such as dysentery, diabetes, and malaria.
Understanding Orangutan Cognition
While it remains uncertain whether Rakus independently learned how to use the plant for medicinal purposes or if he imitated the behavior observed in another orangutan, the intentional nature of Rakus’ actions indicates cognitive abilities related to wound treatment using medicinal plants. However, the extent of his understanding remains unknown.
Study Published in Scientific Reports
Published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports, researchers, led by Dr. Caroline Schuppli from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, detailed their groundbreaking findings concerning the unique wound treatment observed in the wild orangutan.
