Sumatran ape applied sap and leaves to open cut after suspected fight with another male, say scientists
The high intelligence levels of orangutans have long been recognised, partly due to their practical skills such as using tools to crack nuts and forage for insects. But new research suggests the primate has another handy skill in its repertoire: applying medicinal herbs.
It is not the first time wild animals have been spotted self-medicating: among other examples, 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.
“In the chimpanzee case they used insects and unfortunately it was never found out whether these insects really promote wound healing. Whereas in our case, the orangutan used the plant, and this plant has known medical properties,” said Dr Caroline Schuppli, senior author of the research based at Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany.
“It definitely shows that these basic cognitive capacities that you need to come up with a behaviour like this … were present at the time of our last common ancestor most likely,” said Schuppli. “So that that reaches back very, very far.”, Schuppli and colleagues report how they made the discovery while working in a research area of a protected rainforest in Indonesia.
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