A Sumatran orangutan was seen using a medicinal plant to heal a facial wound at an Indonesian research site in a first step for non-humankind.. The male primate applied a paste made from the ...

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.

Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.. Rakus, a male ...

It is "the first known case of active wound treatment in a wild animal with a medical plant," biologist Isabelle Laumer told NPR. She says the orangutan, called Rakus, is now thriving.