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A Surprising Discovery in the Rainforest
The greatest breakthrough revealed quite recently that wild orangutans have long been using plants as medicine, similar to traditional Ayurveda. This astonishing revelation unmasked not just how intelligent and resourceful these great apes are but the great potential behind herbal remedies.
The Orangutan’s Herbal Knowledge
Various studies have also reported that orangutans select and eat specific plants in their natural home of Southeast Asia to heal injuries and sicknesses. For example, one Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed applying a medicinal plant paste to a facial injury. The same plant is used in human medicine for its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.
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This behavior of self-medication by the orangutan indeed raises intriguing questions concerning the evolutionary history of this behavior. The ability to self-medicate could be one that was passed on from the common ancestor of humans and apes thus suggesting that even our ancestors may have used natural things to keep themselves healthy.
Conservation and Medicine: Implications
This will not only have major implications for conservation efforts but also have a great bearing on medical studies. Knowing their medicinal behavior can give an important understanding of the value of natural remedies to human health. It also calls for habitat protection since the survival of the orangutan is vital in sustaining such information.
Conclusion
The medicinal use of plants by orangutans is just one manifestation of the astounding biodiversity on Earth and the dynamic relations between species. As we continue with exploration in nature, it is most probable that even more astonishing examples of animal intelligence and behavior will be uncovered.
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