This Sumatran Orangutan’s Ingenious Self-Medication Will Shock You. Read More Here.
This Sumatran Orangutan's Ingenious Self-Medication Will Shock You. Read More Here.
Rakus, an adult male orangutan, showcased unprecedented behaviour. He adeptly utilised the leaves of Fibraurea Tinctoria, locally known as Akar Kuning, to address a wound on his right cheek.
4 May 2024
In a landmark revelation of nature’s ingenuity, a male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus has astounded researchers with his self-medication prowess. Employing a medicinal plant to treat a facial wound, Rakus has illuminated the sophisticated health practices existing among wild animals to treat their wounds and ailments.
Rakus’s Remarkable Pharma Formulary
During a field study in June 2022 conducted by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany at the Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, Rakus, an adult male orangutan, showcased unprecedented behaviour. He adeptly utilised the leaves of Fibraurea Tinctoria, locally known as Akar Kuning, to address a wound on his right cheek.
Isabelle Laumer, co-author of the study published in Scientific Reports, described this finding as a groundbreaking one, and said, “This is the first time that we have observed a wild animal applying a quite potent medicinal plant directly to a wound.”
Healing Hands of Nature
Believed to have sustained the injury during a territorial altercation with other male orangutans, Rakus exhibited remarkable healing capabilities. After chewing the leaves of the medicinal plant, he applied the resulting juices directly to his wound using his fingers, rather intently, knowing all that he was doing and why, creating a natural bandage-like effect. Astonishingly, within a month, his wound closed and healed efficiently, showcasing the efficacy of his unique self-medication technique.
Insights into Animal Healthcare
Cultural Transmission of Medicinal Practices: The researchers speculate that Rakus might have acquired this behaviour from orangutans living outside the observed park area, highlighting the potential cultural transmission and communication of medicinal practices among these primates. This discovery features the complexity of animal behaviour and the depth of their ecological knowledge.
Parallel Practices in Primates: Rakus’s actions resonate with similar self-medicating behaviours observed in other primates. Orangutans in Borneo and chimpanzees have been documented exhibiting analogous behaviours, using different plants to address various health issues. Such discoveries offer a glimpse into the intricate relationship between animals and their connectivity with the environment.
Evolutionary Implications: The utilisation of medicinal plants by animals prompts profound questions about the origins of such behaviours and their evolutionary significance. As Tara Stoinski, president and chief scientific officer of the nonprofit Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, reflects, “If this behaviour exists in some of our closest living relatives, what could that tell us about how medicine first evolved?”
The Future of Ethnopharmacology: Rakus’s ingenious self-medication opens avenues for further exploration in ethnopharmacology—the study of traditional medicinal practices of human and non-human animals. Understanding the healing mechanisms employed by animals can offer valuable insights for human healthcare and drug discovery.
Is Nature’s Healing Touch, a Power Yet to be Explored by Humans?
Rakus’s extraordinary feat unveils the intricate tapestry of nature’s pharmacy and the plethora of possible healthcare cures which are yet to be discovered and are unexplored like a pandora’s box. In nature, animals are seen harnessing the healing properties of plants to address their health concerns. As we delve deeper into the mysteries of animal behaviour, we uncover a world rich in wisdom and resilience, reminding us of the profound interconnectedness of all living beings.
