An orangutan treated its facial wound using a medicinal paste (Representational image)
Scientists observed a wild male orangutan, Rakus, treating a facial wound by applying a medicinal paste. It’s the first documented example of an animal self-medicating a wound using a plant with healing properties.
In 2022, the orangutan was seen chewing the leaves of a plant called Fibraurea tinctoria, known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Later, the 35-year-old applied the chewed-up paste to its face. It fights bacteria and reduces swelling.
The wound healed after eight days.