A wild orangutan used a medicinal plant to treat a wound, scientists say

By CHRISTINA LARSON
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers say an orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant. It’s the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild. In 2022, scientists in Indonesia observed an adult male orangutan pluck and chew up leaves of a medicinal plant used by people throughout Southeast Asia to treat pain and inflammation. He used his fingers to apply the plant juices to an injury on the right cheek, then pressed the chewed plant to cover the open wound like a makeshift bandage. Researchers reported the observations Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.