I guarantee if you are having a rough start to the week, that will all end by the time you finish today’s Wild Fact on the loveable Bonobo. What is a Bonobo? Well, they are a monkey of course! To be a little more accurate they are actually a member of the Great Ape family and closely related to the popular Common Chimpanzee. In fact, this particular primate use to be referred to as the Pygmy Chimpanzee or the Dwarf Chimpanzee. Our poor little friend was probably developing a complex about their height so researchers decided to change their common name to the Bonobo (in reality, that probably isn’t the reason but who knows, right?).
A Divided Population
Much like their common chimpanzee cousins, the Bonobo is the closest living relative to our wonderful human species. Interestingly enough our featured animal probably only exists due to the development of the Congo River. You see, these primates are not very proficient swimmers (much like myself) so they ended up being separated from one another. Now, the Common Chimpanzee lives north of the river while the Bonobo can be found on the southern portion of this watery divider. It is funny how nature works, isn’t it?
Killing Off Our Relatives
Unfortunately, the Bonobo species to the south are considered to be Endangered as a result of habitat destruction, human development and of course the number one threat, poaching. It is kind of weird to think that humans are technically killing off their cousins. That is definitely not the way to treat family. Although there are no concrete population estimates, scientists believe there to be between 29, 500 and 50 000 Bonobo’s left in the wild. This number may not sounds so critically but at the rate they are being exterminated, it won’t be long until the the “Chimpanzees” on the south side of the Congo go missing.
Love Not War
One of the most fascinating differences between the Common Chimpanzee and the Bonobo is their methods for solving conflict. While the Common Chimps are very aggressive towards any outsiders, often killing intruders, the Bonobo prefers to solve their difference with love, not violence. That’s right, the Bonobo will often engage in sexual intercourse as a method for conflict resolution. A different way of confusing a potential intruder but it seems to work for this species.Besides resolving conflict, this particular primate will often use sexual activities to greet each other, to make up after a fight…oh, and for mating purposes. They use this behaviour in an attempt to form strong bonds between each other. I don’t know how well this behaviour works but I do know one thing for sure – the Bonobo is definitely a lover, not a fighter.
