Anthropologist Maud Mouginot recalls an encounter with bonobos early one morning in 2019 deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo that helped revise her impression of them as the peace-loving “hippy apes.” It was still pitch dark in Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, in the center of the country, and she and colleagues were […]
Tag: bonobo
Bonobos and chimps recall friends and family even after years apart: Study
Louise hadn’t seen Loretta in at least 26 years. But when a photo of her sister flashed before her, she seemed drawn to the image. This recognition of a family member might seem unremarkable, but Louise is a bonobo, and her apparent ability to reach into memory and direct attention to Loretta could be evidence […]
Bonobos and Chimps Recognize Faces of Their Friends Even after Many Years of Separation
While human social memory lasts decades and tracks relationships, less is known about non-human ape long-term memory. In a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists present evidence that our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), recognize the faces of familiar conspecifics even after many […]
Love thy neighbor: Cooperation extends beyond one’s own group in wild bonobos
A study published in Science challenges the notion that only humans are capable of forming strong and strategic cooperative relationships and sharing resources across non-family groups. Researchers from Harvard University and the German Primate Center examined the pro-social behavior of bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of humanity’s closest living relatives, finding that their cooperation extends beyond […]
Research Finds the Answer to Why Primates Hold Onto Dead Infants
A study published in Live Science was conducted to uncover the reason why primates carry around their dead infants. This is a distressing behavior where primate mothers will continue to treat the infant as though it were alive, even as it is decomposing. Researchers conducted an analysis of over 400 cases where this behavior was […]
Easygoing bonobos accepting of outsiders, study says
Bonobos, sometimes referred to as the “hippies” of the ape kingdom, have long been known for their relatively peaceful relations within core family groups. But there’s been less consensus about how amicably bonobos (Pan paniscus) interact with individuals outside of their family structure. A recent study set out to measure how much tolerance bonobos extend […]
First COVID-19 cases in zoo gorillas raise alarm about wild populations
Two gorillas at San Diego Zoo in California have tested positive for COVID-19, in the first reported cases of great apes contracting the novel coronavirus. Three of the primates showed symptoms as of this week, and zoo authorities have not ruled out other troop members also being infected. Since the pandemic broke out last year, […]
Petition: Help Free Gorilla Kept in Department Store Zoo for Thirty Years!
While chimpanzees and bonobos are understood to be the animals that are most closely related to human beings, gorillas are not far off. From one look at a gorilla, it’s not hard to imagine. Gorillas are highly intelligent; they often use tools to perform various tasks and have a well-developed communication system. They also exhibit […]