Dr orang is ready to see patients

In the lush interiors of Gunung Leuser National Park on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, humanity's fondness for calling itself a special species took another blow when Rakus, an orangutan, became the unwitting star of his own medical drama. Armed with nature's pharmacy, Rakus demonstrated a savvy understanding of self-care that astonished even the most seasoned scientists - putting into serious doubt that humans are the only species capable of self-medication. Rakus, in his mid-30s, was nursing a fight-related facial injury in June 2022 when he took matters literally into his own hands. He plucked leaves of the medicinal Akar Kuning plant, rarely eaten by orangutans in the peat swamp forest, and chewed them as Rx. The arboreal genius knew exactly what to do next. With the deft touch of a seasoned med pro, Rakus - 'orangutan' is derived from the Malay words for 'orang' (human) and 'hutan' (forest) - applied the plant's juices directly to his wound, fashioning a makeshift bandage.

Previous research has documented several species of apes foraging for medicines in forests to heal themselves. But scientists hadn't previously seen an animal treat itself in this way. Photos showed Rakus' wound closing within a month. Orangutans share over 97% of human DNA. Our 3% bragging rights may require recalibrating.