What's happened
In June 2022, a male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus sustained a facial wound during a fight with another male orangutan. Three days later, Rakus was observed treating the wound using a plant with pain-relieving properties, applying sap and covering the wound with plant mesh.
Why it matters
The observation of a wild orangutan treating its wound with a medicinal plant sheds light on potential self-medication behavior in animals and suggests a shared evolutionary history of wound care between humans and orangutans.
What the papers say
According to The Independent, the male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed treating his wound with a plant with pain-relieving properties. The New York Times highlighted the significance of this observation, indicating a potential link between human and orangutan wound care practices.
How we got here
Researchers observed Rakus, a male Sumatran orangutan, treating a facial wound sustained during a fight with another male orangutan in Indonesia. The orangutan chewed leaves of a plant known for its pain-relieving properties and applied the resulting sap to the wound, resembling a wound plaster.
Common question
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