Rakus” smeared the whole scar with the plant tissue until the dark body was completely covered with the green leaves material” when flies began to get on the site.
The next day, Rakus was seen eating the wood’s leaves again, and a week later his scar had closed up, eventually healing without any sign of disease.
The behavior is described in the study as the first” carefully documented case of effective scar treatment with a plant species known to contain biologically active compounds by a wild animal.”
Although it was impossible to say whether the behavior was intentional, researchers speculated that Rakus was trying to treat his condition by applying the juice and leaves constantly to the wound.
They speculate that the animal might have discovered the remedy after initially consuming the plant and then discovering that the plant’s juice, which was painless when unintentionally applied to a wound, provided a remedy.
Animals are known to acquire knowledge from one another through observation, but the researchers claim that they have not witnessed similar behavior in the area in 21 times and 28 000 hours of observation.
Rakus, yet, had relocated from another location, which could have taught him the medical approach.
The finding adds to a growing body of research on how monkeys use plants to maintain health, including consuming complete leaves with anti-parasitic properties.
Orangutans have been seen elsewhere in Indonesia rubbing the irrigated foliage of a different grow into their body to try to harness its anti-inflammatory properties.
And in 2022, researchers discovered primates in Gabon that were seen allegedly applying flies to scars.