Orangutan Wounds Healed by Traditional Medicine: How Medical Treatments May Have Originated from Shared Ancestors

In June 2022, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany and Universitas Nasional in Indonesia observed a unique behavior exhibited by an orangutan male named Rakus. Rakus, who lived in the Suaq Balimbing research area of Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia, applied a plant with medicinal properties to a wound under one of his eyes. This behavior had never been seen before in a wild animal and was particularly noteworthy because it took place in the presence of researchers who were conducting research on great apes.

The plant that Rakus used was Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria), which is known for its analgesic and antipyretic effects and is traditionally used to treat wounds, dysentery, diabetes, and malaria. Rakus applied the sap of Akar Kuning to his wound, covering it with chewed leaves. The researchers noted that Rakus’ behavior was intentional, suggesting that medical treatment of wounds may have originated from a shared common ancestor of humans and orangutans.

This discovery raises questions about the intentionality of such actions in non-human animals and how they develop. While wild primate species have been observed using plants with medicinal properties, it was the first time that a great ape species was seen applying them to fresh wounds. Rakus’ wound healed in five days due to the application of Akar Kuning’s juices, and it was completely cured within a month. This behavior provides insights into the broader concept of wound medication among great apes and sheds light on the potential evolutionary origins of such behaviors.

In conclusion, this discovery highlights the importance of studying great apes to understand more about our closest relatives’ behavioral repertoires and their evolutionary origins. It also suggests that medical treatments may have originated from shared common ancestors between humans and other animals, including orangutans.