Researchers reported a remarkable instance of an orangutan named Rakus employing a medicinal plant to treat a wound, shedding light on animals’ self-medicating behaviour in the wild.

Rakus, an adult male orangutan residing in Indonesia, was observed plucking and chewing leaves from a plant known for its pain-relieving properties in Southeast Asia.

Using his fingers, Rakus applied the plant’s juices to an injury on his right cheek, followed by covering the wound with the chewed leaves, resembling a makeshift bandage.

This behaviour, documented in 2022, represents the first recorded instance of a wild animal directly applying potent medicinal plants to self-treat wounds.

While this observation is singular, it underscores the potential for animals to engage in self-medication, a phenomenon previously documented in other primate species like chimpanzees and gorillas.

The study’s findings prompt further inquiry into the evolutionary origins of medicinal practices among animals and their potential implications for understanding human medicine.

#MaltaDaily

Video Source: Isabelle Laumer