In turns out that humans aren’t the only ones with a healthcare plan. For an Orangutan in Indonesia has been seen using a medicinal plant to treat his wounds in a world first.
According to NPR:
“When a wild orangutan in Indonesia suffered a painful wound to his cheek, he did something that stunned researchers: He chewed plant leaves known to have pain-relieving and healing properties, rubbed the juice on the open wound — and then used the leaves as a poultice to cover his injury.
‘This case represents the first known case of active wound treatment in a wild animal with a medical plant,’ biologist Isabelle Laumer, the first author of a paper about the revelation, told NPR.
She says she was ‘very excited’ about the orangutan’s seeming innovation, which was documented at the Suaq Balimbing research site in the Gunung Leuser National Park in northwest Sumatra, where some 150 orangutans live in a protected rainforest.
The orangutan is named Rakus. Laumer says he might have picked up the large wound in a fight with a rival male. A few days later, he was seen using a plant to treat his injury. The wound then healed, seemingly without any infection.”
I wonder how he knew to do this? Did one of the caretakers previously use this same plant to treat one of his injuries and he remembered about the treatment? Was it just a coincidence? Innate knowledge that he just possessed? Or something that he figured out?
Either way, if this is truly the first time this has happened this is is a tremendous discovery. Perhaps other species are on the verge of catching up to us. And the timing is perfect too. Just as another Planet of the Apes movie comes out. Is the plot now one step closer to coming true?
An orangutan recently used a medicinal plant in a world first.
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