A wild monkey used a climbing plant as his natural medicine and impressed professionals around the world. The revelation, made by the newspaper El País this Friday (3), shows the animal using a plaster to treat the ulcer with leaves that contain berberine, a plant extract available in pharmacies.
Wild monkey heals alone using plant – Photo: Reproduction/El Pais/ND
The plant, often camouflaged in the dense jungles of Southeast Asia, is emerging as a valuable resource for local communities and modern scientists.
Known as Fibraurea Tinctoria, its medicinal properties have been celebrated for generations, but it is now, under the scrutiny of contemporary science, that its therapeutic potential is being revealed in fascinating detail.
From remote villages to cutting-edge research laboratories, Fibraurea Tinctoria is being explored as a weapon against a myriad of diseases, from diabetes to malaria, as well as digestive problems.
The secret behind its medicinal prowess lies in a rich array of bioactive compounds, notably diterpenoid furans, which exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and fungicidal properties.
Additionally, Fibraurea Tinctoria is a concentrated source of alkaloids, including protoberberine, a precursor to the popular berberine.
This compound, often nicknamed “natural Ozempic”, is easily found in pharmacies and herbalists’ offices, demonstrating promising potential for a series of therapeutic applications.
While modern science unveils the secrets of this ancient plant, local communities continue to trust in their ancestral knowledge, highlighting the importance of harmony between traditional wisdom and scientific innovation in the pursuit of health and well-being.
Fibraurea Tinctoria is revealing itself not just as a plant, but as a treasure trove of therapeutic potential, connecting the past and future of medicine.
Wild monkey uses plant to heal himself
A surprising discovery was made in the far north of Sumatra, Indonesia, where witnesses witnessed a male orangutan using leaves of the Fibraurea Tinctoria plant to treat a serious wound under his eye. By chewing the leaves and applying them to the wound, the primate created an improvised poultice.
The result was remarkable: within a few days, the ulcer began to close, and after two months, the scar was almost imperceptible. This behavior observed in nature highlights the therapeutic potential of Fibraurea Tinctoria, even among wild animals, and suggests an innate wisdom that transcends the boundaries of the human species.
In the wild corner of the Suaq Balimbing jungle, in the far north of Sumatra, lives an extraordinary orangutan known as Rakus. This primate, a representative of the Pongo abelii species, faces the challenges of an increasingly threatened habitat, where only around 7,500 individuals of its species still survive.
Although Rakus’s exact age is not known, he is estimated to have been born in the 1980s. His sexual maturity was evidenced in 2021 by the development of the adult males’ distinctive physical features, including the prominent reins on his cheeks.
Rakus’ life was marked by a remarkable event witnessed by researchers on June 22, 2022.
During a routine morning in the wild, they were surprised by a rare vocal dispute between two males, a typical display of territorial dominance and claiming females.
At noon, researchers’ attention was drawn to a deep wound under Rakus’s eyes, an injury presumably the result of the previously witnessed confrontation.
In the following days, observers noticed unusual behavior on the part of Rakus. The orangutan began to tear off leaves from the Fibraurea Tinctoria plant and, after chewing them carefully, applied the resulting juice to the wound.
This ritual was repeated as Rakus struggled to keep the ulcer clean despite the flies that fed on it.
Rakus’ instinct led him to discover the medicinal properties of Fibraurea Tinctoria leaves, demonstrating remarkable adaptation and intelligence in the search for self-healing in the wild.
This incident highlights not only Rakus’s individual sagacity, but also underscores the importance of preserving its habitat and species in the face of growing environmental threats.
“Interestingly, Rakus also rested more than usual while he was injured,” says Isabelle Laumer, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior (Germany) and first author of the study.
