A female bonobo defends a dead body

n 2007, the alpha female, Mimi, defended the dead body of an unrelated male, who was a newcomer to the group. She protected the body from keepers with long wooden poles, and even stood strong when the vet arrived with a dart gun. Keep in mind that this is an orphanage, and the last thing many of these bonobos saw before their mothers were shot was a man with a gun. How many humans would throw themselves between a dead body and a weapon?

Read about this and more at www.bonobohandshake.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• bonobo
• death
• altruism

[naddog180]

Perhaps there is a strong sense of respecting the passing of another. Maybe if the handlers had shown respect in the same way the other bonobos were it would have changed the dynamics. Poking at a body with sticks seems quite disrespectful.

[Frankwolf100]

I agree they should have shown a little more respect, not poking at it like a dead rat. At the same time if they're putting up that much of a fight, just tranqualize them and pull the body out, don't make it so dramatic.

[trueword247]

@theGroveMan Wait. What?

[irishbrosme]

tree and knocked out and vulnerable to attack so maybe they didnt and wouldnt know he/she was dead untill they wait to see if it would get up. And if they did know it was dead that makes it even worst what your team tryed to do in my eyes. I like how you done your reserach untill i seen this video really shocked me.

[irishbrosme]

I dont belive what ive just seen in this video why would you put them through that kind of stress i did think you guys were all about leting them live as wild as possable. You ask why would the alpha female stay to fend off attackers as she sees it.I ask you this why put them through that kind of stress they would have only stayed with their fellow group member a couple of hours at most then your keepers could have got the dead boady.Im sure they have seen another fal from tree&knocked out&vulne

[doctorsensual77]

@rachelcapt225 After this little speech of yours, tell me? Who really is the "chimp"?

[rachelcapt225]

Mire chimp need to die. These sanctuaries are prone to chimps dying from illness. That's good, fuck rescue centers like Chimp Eden. There just another big cage for fucked up chimps who hurt each other. I love to see them hurt each other. The little hairy infant playing is fuckin sick. They should be killed for bush eat now. Let them breed then take newborns for research, circus or to be chained and teased tell mentally fucked up. Kill all stupid breeding chimp. Power to extinction.

[FireStormBaller]

Mimi just protected a dead unrelated newcomer bonobo while humans just watch live humans getting beat up by gangs and say, well, that person getting beat up isn't related to me, so I'm not going to help, and you want to know what's wrong her? Yeah, she rather die, so bring it on!

[jamiedrinkwater]

They weren't "poking at it with sticks", they were trying to move the body. You really expect them to get in their and move it by hand?

[theGroveMan]

The beginnings of religion before our eyes.

[jsuttonus]

Throw a banana in there, monkeys love bananas