APE APOTHECARY
Wild orangutans have been observed preparing and applying a medicinal lotion that works against aches.
Over the course of 10 years, biologists working in Borneo have documented six females and one male chewing the leaves of one particular plant species to produce a soapy lather of juice and saliva, which they rub methodically into their arms and legs.
Five of the seven apes were carrying young. “We believe that females may be using this plant to soothe sore muscles and joints from the extra weight of carrying their infants while climbing through the forest canopy,” says Helen Morrogh-Bernard of the University of Exeter.
Chemical analyses showed that the leaves contain compounds with potent antiinflammatory properties.
Intriguingly, the same plant is used by local indigenous people to treat muscle pain. The biologists speculate that they may have originally learned the technique from watching the orangutans.