Guest Author - Susan Hopf
This riveting book, written by first time author Vanessa Woods, is an intriguingly complicated yet easy to read personal account of a young woman’s life in the Congo committed to saving the Bonobo. These pink-lipped, long-haired primates are one of three very closely related Great Apes – Chimps, Bonobos and Humans share 97% of the same DNA.
Bonobos are unique in many aspects. They live in matriarchal societies that are free of violence and use sex to resolve conflicts. They tolerate strangers and share their food willingly with such. The males, though subordinate, are not discriminated against in anyway except for one – they get the last choice for sleeping quarters and only enter the night enclosures once the females are settled. Disputes are rare and when they occur a mild chastisement, or even a pointed glance, is usually enough to send the perpetrator of mischief into a self-berating sulk.
Only found in the Congo, Bonobos find their way into sanctuaries mostly as orphans. Their mothers are killed for bush meat and the babies are taken and sold in markets for pets. It is illegal to sell Bonobos as they are considered endangered and those that run sanctuaries work with the government and police in order to obtain orphans from such circumstances. Once in the sanctuary their lives are protected to the greatest extent possible.
The Congo has been, and to a somewhat lesser extent continues to be, a volatile part of the world. Genocide, rape, wars and cannibalism are a way of life as varying tribes attempt to win control over the region. The book takes us into the heart of this highly unsettled and violent country and we see a very different story than that portrayed on the nightly news. People committing unthinkable acts against each other as well as the animals that share their world are the everyday challenges that face the author, Ms Woods and her compatriots in compassion.
As we continue into the pages of this very revealing history of the Congo one cannot help but grow enamored of the Bonobos' gentleness. We also learn of the marked difference between these peace-loving primates and their Chimpanzee cousins. Chimps are not tolerant of each other and certainly not of strangers. Violence is an integral part of this male dominated society and the babies and females are often abused or killed by the males despite strong familial ties. There is no cooperation between chimps – food is fought over and coveted by the dominant males and females. Babies are often abandoned or killed when food becomes scarce. Bonobos always share their food and babies are held close, protected and loved above all else.
Bonobos share affectionate, passionate kisses for comfort and foreplay. They are seductive and playful and begin and end many encounters with the “Bonobo Handshake” – not always a sexual come-on but a greeting of intense intimacy and close personal bonding and security – this exchange defines the extreme connection to each other as well as those that become their human caretakers when their mothers are wrenched from their lives.
The book is clearly a journey of growth from the author’s perspective but as a perceptive reader you cannot help but notice the parallels between humans, Chimps and Bonobos. As I closed the cover I found myself wondering what the world would be like if humans were a bit more like Bonobos and little less like Chimps – no doubt a great deal more peaceful and perhaps a lot more fun.
I received an advanced copy for review.
