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Self-Medications in Non-Humans: Animal Doctors
Context:
A male Sumatran orang-utan has been observed using a medicinal plant to treat a facial wound in a first-ever documented case of a wild animal self-medicating with a known medicinal substance.
More on News:
- The plant used was Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria), a liana found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
- The plant contains furanoditerpenoids and protoberberine alkaloids.
- They have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antioxidant, and other biological activities relevant to wound healing.
Orangutans:
- Orangutans are one of the extant species of great apes, along with chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos.
- They live solitary lives in lowland forests.
- They primarily feed on wild fruits like lychees, mangosteens, and figs, and drink water from tree holes.
- Flanged males have prominent cheek pads and a throat sac for loud vocalisations.
- Unflanged males resemble adult females, but can change to flanged males for reasons unknown.
- There are three types of orangutans: Sumatran, Bornean, and Tapanuli.
Differences between Bornean and Sumatran:
Tapanuli:
The Tapanuli orangutan is a newly recognized species in 2017.
• It is the most endangered great ape, with fewer than 800 individuals.
• Its population is critically low due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
- Bornean and Sumatran orangutans differ in appearance and behaviour.
- Both Bornean and Sumatran orangutans have shaggy reddish fur.
- Sumatran orangutans have longer facial hair compared to Bornean orangutans.
- Sumatran orangutans have closer social bonds compared to Bornean orangutans.
IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (Bornean and Sumatran Orangutan)