In a first, an orangutan is seen using a medicinal plant to treat injury
CBSN
An orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant— the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild, scientists reported Thursday.
Scientists observed Rakus the orangutan pluck and chew up leaves of a medicinal plant used by people throughout Southeast Asia to treat pain and inflammation. The adult male orangutan then used his fingers to apply the plant juices to an injury on the right cheek. Afterward, he pressed the chewed plant to cover the open wound like a makeshift bandage, according to a new study in Scientific Reports.
Previous research has documented several species of great apes foraging for medicines in forests to heal themselves, but scientists hadn't yet seen an animal treat itself in this way.
17-year-old girl trafficked into U.S. from Mexico rescued after texting 911 and describing landmarks
A 17-year-old girl has been rescued and a man arrested after the girl was allegedly trafficked into the United States from Mexico, authorties in Southern California said Thursday. The girl was able to text authorities asking for help and describe enough landmarks for police to find her.
Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing forward with their plan to repeal a pandemic-era law that allowed the wearing of masks in public for health reasons, a move spurred in part by demonstrations against the war in Gaza that have included masked protesters camped out on college campuses.
Deadly thunderstorms blew out windows in high-rise buildings, downed trees and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Houston area Thursday as Southeast Texas got pummeled for the second time this month. At least four people were killed due to the storms, the Houston Mayor's office told CBS News Thursday night.