Orangutans have
been observed using medicinal plants to sooth joint and muscle
inflammation "for the first time ever".
The Borneo based apes chew leaves
of the Dracaena cantleyi plant to create a white lather, which they
then rub onto to their bodies.
This is the first report of self-medication
in an Asian ape, and also the first evidence for the use of anti-inflammatory medication
in animals.
Indigenous people on the Indonesian
island are however, known to use this plant for the same
purpose.
"For the first time ever,
self-medication activities of orangutans have been confirmed through this
research," said Dr Ivona Foitova who
co-authored the study published in the Scientific
Reports journal.
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