Rare Discovery: Indonesian Orangutan Uses Local Herb to Heal Facial Wounds, Highlighting Common Ancestry with Humans

In Indonesia, a male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed using a local herb called Akar Kuning to treat facial wounds. Rakus chewed leaves from the climbing plant and rubbed the leaf juice into his cheeks, then applied the chewed leaves to the wound. This behavior was witnessed in June 2022 in the Suaq Balimbing area of Gunung Leuser National Park.

The research team, led by Isabelle Laumer from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, was thrilled by this discovery as it marked the first time they had seen a wild primate intentionally use a plant to treat a wound. They believe that Rakus may have learned to use Akar Kuning for wound healing through accidental discovery or observation of other orangutans.

This behavior raises the possibility that humans and orangutans share a common ancestor due to their use of herbal remedies for healing purposes. The research team plans to monitor injured orangutans in the area to see if this behavior is repeated and hopes that their findings will draw attention to the critically endangered status of orangutans in the wild.

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