Researchers observe wild orangutan use plant to treat wound

The high intelligence levels of orangutans has long been understood, partly thanks to skills such as using tools to retrieve seeds and forage for insects. But new research suggests the primate has another skill in its repertoire: a pplying medicinal herbs.

- Nicola Davis

Researchers have observed a male Sumatran ora ngutan treating an open facial wound with sap and chewed leaves from a plant known to have anti-infl ammatory and pain-relieving properties.

It is not the fi rst time wild animals have been spotted self-medicating: Bornean orangutans have been seen rubbing their arms and legs with chewed leaves from a plant used by humans to treat sore muscles, while chimpanzees have been recorded chewing plants known to treat worm infections and applying insects to wounds. However, it is the fi rst time a wild animal has been observed treating open wounds with a substance known to have me dicinal properties.