In the first-ever observed example of a non-human healing itself through medicinal means, a male Sumatran orangutan used a poultice plant to make a paste and apply it to a wound he had received while fighting. After continually applying the plant’s juice to the cut, he covered the wound with the plant’s leaves. The species of plant used is known for its analgesic effects and is not typically eaten by orangutans; researchers are confident that this was a deliberate act of self-treatment.
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