HENRY

Dear Zoo Visitor:

Sorry to hear about your disappointment during your visit, but, yes, “sexual” behavior is normal for bonobos in the wild, including juveniles. In fact, most behaviors, obviously all those involving juveniles, that involve two or more bonobos in “sexual” activity are not really sexual in the sense of procreation, rather they are social. “Homosexual” behavior in bonobos like what you may have witnessed is not analogous to that seen in humans, regarding either intentions or anatomy. It appears that much of the sexual activity is a form of bonding, appeasement and displacement that replaces some of the grooming and aggression seen in other species.

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Posted on March 9th, 2008 by Simon Greenhill