Chemical analysis of Akar Kuning revealed a composition rich in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making it an ideal agent for wound healing.
Cognitive biologist and primatologist Isabelle Laumer of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany meticulously documented Rakus’ recovery.
Just a few days after applying the chewed leaves of Akar Kuning to his wound, a notable improvement was observed and, after a few weeks, the injury was barely noticeable.
Akar Kuning, or Fibraea tinctoria, has been used in traditional medicine for centuries in Asia and Africa. Its active compounds offer a powerful analgesic effect and are effective in reducing inflammation and preventing infections.
However, what surprised scientists is the choice of Rakus, since, despite the plant’s prevalence in its habitat, orangutans rarely consume it.
The rapid healing of Rakus’ wound, with no signs of infection, raises questions about whether his choice was instinctive or learned. The scientific community does not yet know if Rakus was aware of the specific properties of the plant, but his behavior suggests a possible animal intuition towards natural medicine.
If this type of self-medication is more commonly observed among orangutans or other great apes, it could indicate that human medical practices have roots in ancestral behaviors that we share with our primate relatives.
SELF PRESCRIBED ANIMAL MEDICINE
This discovery is not only fascinating in its rarity, but also challenges the distinction between instinctive and learned knowledge. It shows how animals, like humans, can recognize and use the benefits of certain plants without fully understanding their mechanism of action.
Rakus’s experience opens a new chapter in ethology and suggests that the line between intuition and acquired knowledge is much more blurred than previously thought.
