Orang Utan stay with their mothers for six to seven years to learn what to eat and where to find it, and visit their mothers until they reach the age of 15 or 16.

(says https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/5-remarkable-animal-mo...)

Monkey see, monkey do, and orangutan think and understand. orangutan are quite smart and can associate ideas, communicate and share knowledge. They are considered as one of the most intelligent primate.

A shame they're critically endangered.

It seems odd to me the go to would be 'genetic' memory, when mammals pretty much universally engage in learning and cultural sharing.

I'm not sure about where these orangutans live, but my guess would be that, if it is not a thing the orangutans knew, centuries of living alongside humans... they probably picked up a thing or two. They're quite smart creatures.

More likely it's something parents or friends taught him.

> Dr Laumer says it is possible that it was the first time Rakus had done this type of treatment. “It could be that he accidentally touched his wound with his finger that had the plant on it. And then because the plant has quite potent pain relieving substances he might have felt immediate pain relief, which made him apply it again and again," she says.

100% genetic