World’s only bonobo sanctuary helps orphaned apes develop social skills

Monkeys orphaned by the illegal bushmeat and pet trade are able to overcome their trauma and develop social skills similar to those raised by their mothers.

The study, led by Durham University in the UK, investigated the effects of rehabilitation at the world’s only bonobo sanctuary on the social and emotional development of orphaned bonobo apes over a 10-year period. The findings are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Bonobos are our closest living relatives, along with chimpanzees, and live only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Early childhood trauma of loss of mother and deprivation due to human captivity can have long-term negative effects on bonobos’ social abilities.

Researchers investigated how rehabilitation at Congo’s Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary affects the social and emotional skills of orphaned bonobos compared to bonobos raised by their mothers. They wanted to check at different points in the animal’s life.

Specifically, the researchers investigated how bonobos’ empathy, social skills, and aggressive behavior developed over their lifetime and between sexes.

Although the orphaned bonobos studied showed reduced social skills, they did display some species-typical social behaviors seen in apes raised by their mothers.

Researchers say this highlights the orphans’ ability to overcome challenges and the important role such rehabilitation centers can play in the recovery of great apes before being released back into the wild.

Lead author Dr. Stephanie Cordon. Researchers from Durham University’s School of Psychology said: ‘Bonobos are one of our closest ape relatives, but they are at risk of extinction due to deforestation and the illegal trade in bushmeat and pets.

“The Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary is doing important work in conserving this vulnerable species. Although the social development of orphans is not equivalent to that of orphans raised by their mothers, They are similar in development and behavior.

“By better understanding the healthy social development of bonobos, we aim to support important rehabilitation and conservation efforts for this unique species.”

Researchers observed a total of 83 bonobos at various points in their lives over a 10-year period at Lola ya Bonobo.

The researchers found that social skills in bonobos increase with age in female bonobos, while social skills in males decline. This is consistent with how bonobos interact in the wild, as they are female-dominated societies. However, these skills were lower in orphans compared to those raised by their mothers.

Although orphaned bonobos were consistently less likely to show empathy, such as comforting other bonobos, they were not completely lacking in this ability. This suggests that orphans continue to show compassion towards other bonobos, even if it is at the lower end of the scale.

The fact that orphans’ tendency to comfort others, although at lower levels, is still within the range of mother-reared bonobos suggests that they may have sufficient skills to cope within social groups. It suggests that there is a sex. This is important because some of these great apes will be released back into the wild. In the wild, social skills are essential for survival.

Older females raised by their mothers were more likely to be aggressive toward other group members, and younger bonobos and male bonobos were more likely to be victims of aggression. However, the way bonobos were raised did not predict their risk of becoming victims of attacks.

Lead author of the study, Professor Zannah Clay from Durham University’s School of Psychology, said: “While we cannot say that orphaned bonobos are fully rehabilitated, the fact that bonobos exhibit species-typical behavior suggests that we “Our findings point in the right direction for bonobo social functioning.” Low but within normal range.

“By comparing orphaned and mother-reared bonobos, we explore how early life experiences influence the development of social and emotional skills in our closest relatives and support their development. It provides an interesting insight into the importance of protected areas for

Researchers from Harvard University and Emory University also participated in the study.