With their vibrant eyes and outstanding beards and mustaches, it’s straightforward to see how orangutans obtained their identify; “orang” is Malay for particular person, whereas “hutan” means forest. Their similarity to people doesn’t cease there. Researchers have noticed a male orangutan deal with a wound on his face with a plant that’s additionally utilized in human drugs.
It’s the primary time any wild animal has been seen caring for a wound utilizing a pure substance with identified medicinal properties, researchers report Might 2 in Scientific Reviews.
On June 25, 2022, subject biologist Ulil Azhari was observing a Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) named Rakus within the Suaq Balimbing analysis space of Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser Nationwide Park. The realm is dwelling to about 150 of the apes, and researchers have been learning them since 1994. Azhari watched as Rakus chewed up a liana plant, regionally referred to as Akar Kuning, and rubbed the ensuing paste onto an open wound he suffered on his proper cheek a number of days prior, doubtless from a combat with one other male. After making use of the previous a number of occasions over about seven minutes, Rakus then smeared intact liana pulp over his damage, nearly like a bandage.
Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria) is utilized by the native individuals in conventional drugs and has a protracted listing of identified medicinal properties, together with being an antibacterial and anti inflammatory therapy.
Isabelle Laumer, a cognitive biologist on the Max Planck Institute for Animal Conduct in Konstanz, Germany and member of the Suaq Mission learning orangutans, learn the notes from the remark and “was instantly getting very excited,” she says. “He solely handled this wound and never some other physique half. And this was performed repeatedly.” Rakus’ intentionality, and the truth that his wound was closed simply 5 days after the remark — and by no means turned contaminated — satisfied her that he was purposefully utilizing the liana plant to deal with his nasty gash.
“There’s lots of literature about animals making use of issues to areas that harm,” says Michael Huffman, a zoologist at Nagasaki College in Japan who has studied self-medication in primates for many years (SN: 11/3/90). “However this I feel is the primary printed paper with particulars of each the chemical properties of the plant and the progress of the therapy itself.”
Laumer says she hopes the discovering will assist extra individuals respect how related orangutans are to people and care extra about defending them. All three species of the apes are critically endangered. “It will be so unhappy if they’d vanish from this world,” she says.
