Wild Orangutan Uses Medicinal Plant to Treat a Wound

IN NEWS: Wild Orangutan Uses Medicinal Plant to Treat a Wound

ANALYSIS

1. A wild male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed applying a medicinal tropical plant to a wound on his right cheek in Gunung Leuser National Park, Indonesia.
2. The orangutan chewed leaves of a plant traditionally used in Southeast Asia for pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits, then applied the juice directly to the wound.
3. He further pressed the chewed leaf pulp onto the wound, acting as a natural bandage, indicating intentional self-treatment.
4. Scientists report this as the first documented case of a wild animal deliberately applying a potent medicinal plant to an open injury.
5. The behavior was recorded in 2022 by a Suaq Project field researcher, and the wound healed completely within a month.
6. Despite monitoring orangutans in the region since 1994, such behavior had never been observed earlier.
7. Researchers suggest Rakus may have learned the technique outside the primary study area, where he lived in his juvenile years.
8. This observation is consistent with broader patterns of self-medication among primates, including chimpanzees and gorillas using plants to treat illnesses or parasites.
9. The study indicates possible evolutionary roots of medicinal knowledge among great apes, contributing to our understanding of early medical behavior.
10. The findings were published in Scientific Reports, emphasizing the significance of long-term wildlife behavioral studies.

NECESSARY STATIC PART (FROM INPUT DATA)

• Species: Sumatran orangutan.
• Individual: Rakus.
• Location: Gunung Leuser National Park, Indonesia.
• Act Observed: Application of chewed medicinal plant leaves to a wound.
• Plant Traits: Traditionally used for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
• Observation Year: 2022.
• Key Researchers Mentioned:
  • Isabelle Laumer (Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior)
  • Ulil Azhari (Suaq Project)
  • Caroline Schuppli (Max Planck)
  • Jacobus de Roode (Emory University)
  • Tara Stoinski (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund)
• Publication: Scientific Reports.
• Outcome: Wound healed completely within a month.
• News Origin: Associated Press.

Updated – 01 Oct 2025 ; 5:43 PM  | News Source: Associated Press (AP)