News Animals

This orangutan used a medicinal plant on his face wound

It’s the first observation of an animal treating a wound with a plant used in human medicine

orangutan with gash under one eye

Rakus, a Sumatran orangutan, chewed up a liana plant known for its medicinal properties and applied it to a nasty open wound on his face. This image was taken two days before he applied the paste.

Armas

By Darren Incorvaia

With their bright eyes and prominent beards and mustaches, it’s easy to see how orangutans got their name; “orang” is Malay for person, while “hutan” means forest.