#bonobos

[bignosebaby]

Ikoto, a rescued baby bonobo with his caretaker at Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary in the DRC.

[river-taxbird]

"Isn't it weird when an anthro dog furry meets a real dog? How does that make sense? How can both exist? Wouldn't it make them feel weird?"

Well humans are apes, right? If you asked an anthro creature that question they would probably counter with the old "That's like asking if humans evolved from apes why are there still apes."

Does being around apes make us feel weird? That's actually an interesting question, because when I have seen them at the zoo I have often got a weird feeling. Their expressions and body language are way more dynamic than most nonhuman animals. Of course that's just what you'd expect from our closest living relatives, and research shows we may have a genetic memory of the meaning of apes' common body language.

I think it's probably their expressiveness messing with our expectations around body language that can cause us to have a weird feeling around nonhuman apes, but I think it's a good idea to explore that kind of feeling, and maybe it can even help us understand our place in the world and build empathy with nonhuman animals. Look at this! Those are just some guys! It's just we came down from the trees on two legs, and they came down on all fours.

Other posts have said it but genuinely internalizing that I am just an animal and have the needs of one is helping my mental health and understanding of myself.

[is-the-primate-vid-cute]

Christian Ziegler's incredible photo which has been selected as the Highly Commended image in the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year 58th competition.

Christian had been tracking the group of bonobos "chest-deep through flooded forest" in the Salonga National Park for days when he spotted the young male holding a juvenile mongoose in his hand.

"I was so surprised to see how he carried the mongoose with such care. I immediately started to follow him and document it," he told BBC News. The ape held and stroked the small mongoose for over an hour, he said.

It is not uncommon for bonobos to capture small animals to keep as pets for short periods of time before either eating or releasing them, and it may even be a status symbol among bonobos to hold onto another animal for a while to show off.

[mindblowingscience]

Hold on to your heart: A new study found that apes — our closest living relatives — can recognize family members and long lost friends even after decades of separation. Researchers tested 26 captive chimpanzees and bonobos from zoos around the world, showing them pictures of former groupmates alongside pictures of unknown apes, ultimately confirming what primatologists have long suspected.

Continue Reading.

[weirdnaturalscience]

you and me baby ain't nothing but mammals 🦇 so let's discuss how important female pleasure and stimulation are in the reproduction of many different animals 🐇

[adehl]

bonobos walking bipedally

[gorillawithautism]

fun fact! teco the bonobo has achieved flight! he is currently the only known flying bonobo

here he is in action:

[netscapenavigator-official]

Do you think if Homo sapiens sex culture was more similar to Bonobo sex culture, and Puritanism had never really taken off, that there would Gooning Zones just like there are Smoking Zones?

[kitonmitons]

a group of monkeys sitting on top of rocks // Bonobos at the Cincinnati Zoo by Sean Foster. 2021.

[more-flotsam-and-jetsam]

A chart showing the divergence on the evolutionary timeline of humans and gorillas, chimps etc from our common ancestors

[markhors-menagerie]

Bonobo (Pan paniscus)

Once known as the pygmy chimpanzee, the bonobo is now recognised as a separate species. They live in tropical forests south of the Congo River, and eat fruit, leaves, honey, and small animals like insects and mammals. They are very social and less violent than chimpanzees. They’re also really horny, like all the time. They’re the only non-human species known to engage in tongue kissing and face-to-face sex, because of course they are. And as expected from a species whose sex lives have been studied as much as they have, both male-male and female-female relations have been documented.

[bignosebaby]

Kanzi the bonobo is now a gamer!

YouTuber ChrisDaCow reached out to the Des Moines’ Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative where Kanzi and his bonobo family live. For decades Kanzi has demonstrated proficency in learning tasks and understanding human language, and his introduction to Minecraft adds to human study as well as Kanzi's enrichment.

Kanzi started by familiarizing himself with the game, using arrows to point to loot on the ground. Over time, Kanzi learned to tap the center of a touchscreen to move forward and touch the sides to turn and look around.

Kanzi gets rewarded for his achievements with his favorite snacks, such as peanuts, grapes, and apples. Kanzi not only enjoys playing Minecraft but also when people play with him.

Watch the video here! A fundraiser is included to build new outdoor play areas for the bonobos. They have already raised 10 thousand dollars and are planning another video about Kanzi's Minecraft world.

[jasvvy]

trying his best

[jadeseadragon]

via Natgeo App

[is-the-primate-vid-cute]

This is a silly question, but could giving bonobos fertility treatments help them to not go extinct?

Nope, fertility isn't the issue. Even if it were as simple as a single pill (any human who has had fertility treatments will tell you it is far from that simple) the main issue is human intervention in the form of deforestation and environmental destruction, as well as poaching.

This is particularly devastating as bonobos reproduce slowly-- where some animals are able to have litters of young with short gestation periods and quick recovery time to be able to get pregnant again, great apes are different. Bonobos (and other great apes) typically only carry one fetus at a time, and gestation takes 240 days from conception to birth. After an infant is born, another won't be conceived until the infant is no longer entirely dependant.

Consequently, even a very fertile bonobo would only have a child once every few years, which is very little in the face of their already small territories being reduced and their populations being killed. What will save bonobos will be protected forests where they can live unharmed, financial stability for the people who live close to wild bonobo populations so they don't have to resort to poaching to survive, and supporting sanctuaries like Lola Ya Bonobo where orphaned bonobos are raised to be able to return to the wild and have children of their own.

[jiacast]

Animal love

Animals have the ability to experience emotions, including love, which is a subject of ongoing research and debate among scientists and animal behavior experts. Some species exhibit behaviors that suggest they form strong emotional bonds with others, which could be interpreted as a form of love. Animals may express affection and bond with others through various behaviors, such as grooming, cuddling, playing, sharing resources, and engaging in cooperative activities. Wolves, highly social animals, form strong familial bonds within their packs and exhibit affection through behaviors such as nuzzling, grooming, and playing with pack members. They also demonstrate loyalty and care for one another, particularly within family units. Bonobos, closely related to chimpanzees, have complex social structures and high levels of social bonding. They express affection through grooming, hugging, and engaging in sexual activities for both reproduction and social bonding purposes. They also demonstrate empathy and altruism towards others, which are commonly associated with love and compassion. These examples demonstrate that while animals may not experience love in the same way humans do, they do form deep emotional connections and exhibit behaviors that suggest they are capable of experiencing affection and forming strong social bonds with others in their species.