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A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo
by Vanessa Woods
Book Reviewed by:Bonobo Handshake is equal parts behavioral science, history, personal memoir, and coming-of-age tale. I usually consider it a mistake when an author tries to cram too much into a book, trying to be all things to all readers, as the end result is often a work that does a poor job covering all aspects of the chosen material. Vanessa Woods, however, manages to pull off this balancing act in a remarkably satisfying manner. One topic flows into the next naturally, almost conversationally, providing connection and continuity between diverse subjects. This allows her to cover a lot of ground without any one subject bogging down the narrative or becoming too dry. It does prevent her from going into a great deal of depth, particularly when covering African history, but she provides enough of an overview so that the reader understands the context in which her memoir takes place.
This is a story of personal growth as much as anything. The author relates her gradual maturing with refreshing honesty and self-deprecating humor. When we first meet her, Woods is twenty-two and fresh out of college, assisting at a chimpanzee refuge in Uganda. It's evident that she's there for the adventure, and she makes it plain that she continued traveling to foreign lands for the excitement and romance of doing something new and perhaps a little daring.
"I envisioned myself slicing through the foliage with my hair swept into a glossy ponytail and stylish smudges of dirt underneath my cheekbones. I would walk among forest elephants in the glittering sunlight. I would adorn myself with pythons and gain a reputation among the rebel warlords as some kind of goddess."
When she relates her engagement and marriage to behavioral researcher Brain Hare, she seems to have very little understanding of, or sympathy for, his goals. She comes to realize through the course of the book that her initial pursuits were somewhat shallow. "I always imagined doing something worthwhile with my life," she writes. "But I got adventure confused with substance. I thought if I went to amazing places and did interesting things, that would be enough. But that's just a spectator sport. Every time I got bored, I packed up and ran around until I found the next interesting thing. I never stuck around long enough to build anything meaningful." By the book's conclusion she has conducted her own research project and developed the sense of purpose she lacks in the early sections of the narrative.
I was struck by Woods's ability to keep me on an emotional roller-coaster from start to finish. It's rare that I'll laugh out loud or cry while reading a book, particularly a non-fiction one, but Bonobo Handshake elicited both reactions from me - more than once. I shed tears of both sorrow and joy throughout the story.
"Bonobo handshake" is a euphemism for sex, and readers should know that the author's frank style extends to her descriptions of bonobo sex acts and genitalia. Given the bonobo's similarities to humans, some readers may find these sections pretty graphic. In addition, one of the author's reasons for traveling to war-torn countries was to elicit war stories from the people she met in an attempt to understand her father's Vietnam War experiences. Their tales include detailed descriptions of dismemberment, cannibalism and rape, among other horrific things, and may haunt those of a sensitive nature.
Woods's ultimate purpose for writing about bonobos is plain: to direct more attention
(and thus conservation funds) to the preservation of these marvelous yet little-known
creatures. As she points out, "Bonobos are as closely related to humans as chimps
and are more in danger of extinction. But even at great ape conferences, bonobos
are completely left off the map. Of all the conservation money that pours in
to save chimpanzees, bonobos barely see a penny." She certainly succeeds in
portraying their plight, and does so without becoming strident or preachy. The
book is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about these
remarkable animals and for those who enjoy first-rate non-fiction.
This review was originally published in August 2010, and has been updated for the
June 2011 paperback release.
Click here to go to this issue.
Vanessa Woods with bonobos in a wildlife sanctuary
in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sydney Morning Herald
Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are one of the two species that make up the genus Pan,
along with Pan troglodytes, the Common Chimpanzee. Chimps and bonobos are the
closest extant relative to humans, sharing almost 99% of our DNA. They are also
the least known of the great apes (which in addition to bonobos includes chimpanzees,
orangutans, and gorillas), and remained unidentified as a separate species until
1933.
Bonobos are sometimes referred to as pygmy chimpanzees, but this is a misnomer, as on average they weigh the same or only slightly less than common chimpanzees (approximately 85 pounds for males and 68 pounds for females). Their bodies are proportioned quite differently, with a lower center of gravity, longer limbs, and a smaller head. The difference in their anatomy allows them to stand more erect than chimps, walking upright up to 25% of the time. When they move on all fours they walk on their palms as opposed to on their knuckles the way the chimpanzees do.
Bonobos also differ from chimps in that the hair on their head parts in the middle, they have pink lips, and a less heavy brow over their eyes (giving their features a more human look).
A very small region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River is the only area where bonobos live in the wild - just 77,000 square miles of habitat. They're much less adaptable than chimpanzees, requiring high rainforest canopy, and spend much more time in the trees than other African apes. Bonobos eat mostly fruit, but will also eat grubs, small crustaceans and leaves.
One of the most interesting aspects of bonobos is their unique social structure.
Unlike other apes, the males are not dominant. While males individually are
heavier and stronger than females, the females have a strong hierarchy and often
unite to dominate the community. The males are tolerant of juveniles and infants,
and court females (as opposed to forcing their attentions on them, as is the
norm with other apes). In comparison with other apes, they exhibit a low level
of aggression between individuals and other groups of bonobos. Most conflicts
within groups are eased by grooming, sharing food, or sexual activity.
Bonobos are highly sexual, using sexual activity as a greeting, to settle conflict or defuse tension (the phrase "make love not war" is often associated with these animals). Bonobos are the only non-human animals that have been observed engaging in tongue kissing and oral sex. They are also the only apes that engage in sexual activity even when the female is not fertile. Homosexual pairings are not uncommon.
Due to habitat loss and human hunting, bonobos are an endangered species. It
is widely estimated that fewer than 10,000 exist in the wild, with some putting
the figure as low as 5,400. The fact that their only habitat is in the middle
of a single, war-torn country is seen as further jeopardizing conservation efforts.
Lola ya Bonobo is the world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos.
This review was originally published in August 2010, and has been updated for the
June 2011 paperback release.
Click here to go to this issue.
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