Are Bonobos/Chimps/Orangutans/Gorillas Afraid of Water?
Project Bonobo
This question came to me because I have heard all the "great apes" are afraid of water. So, the question is:
Are Bonobos (Chimps/Orangutans/Gorillas) afraid of water?
The "great apes" have no body fat, they are all muscle, so they can't stay afloat and swim. But...are they afraid of the water? Let's see...read on.
Bonobos
Here's the answer, picture taken by Vanessa Woods, Research Scientist at Duke University. Words cannot describe the feeling I had when I saw this picture. It's unbelievable:
This is Isiro, a beautiful female bonobo, LAUNCHING herself off a log, like a child at summer camp. Her face is turned up and sideways, showing her right profile. Taken at Lola Ya Bonobo, DRCongo, by Vanessa Woods.
Vanessa wrote, "Isiro, a young female...flings herself off it like a dancer, twisting around and holding her arms close like a ballerina, her head thrown back. i think you would really appreciate the beauty of it." Appreciate is an understatement...look at the beauty of this female - she is literally twisting like a ballerina.
"...bonobos love the water. They don't let their feet leave the ground underneath because of their hair. they are covered in thick hair all over, so when it becomes wet they get heavy - it would be like trying to swim in a heavy woolen coat. but they love the shallows and will splash around like kids in a bathtub," Vanessa added, then included these incredible pictures. They are small here, but left-click to view them up close, and just imagine how incredible this is...
(r) splashing in the water, like a boy in a bathtub, (c) grabbing a stick, (below), walking across amongst the water lollies.
And this is my favourite pic (below). Can you imagine how daring this one is to walk with only his head up for air?
Orangutan
June Rubis, Programmes Manager for the Orangutan Foundation, posted this picture, below, and wrote: "Orangutans can’t swim though they do wade...also [they] will also play with water... She sat there for a good fifteen minutes and actually bobbed up and down so the water rose up to her chin."
Siswi, the beautiful female orangutan cooling off at Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP)
Chimpanzees
This question was posed to Phillip Cronje from The Jane Goodall Institute in South Africa. "They don't really like water but will go in. They don't spend as much time as Bonobos and Orangs," he stated in an e-mail to me.
Here is an excerpt from "Ape Genius" - how a young male Chimp is holding on to a tree stem, playing in the water.
Young Chimpanzee playing in swimming hole in Senegal.
Also enjoy this youtube. Infant and young Chimps have been known though to push each other into water.
Gorillas
The first recorded gorilla sighting (by western civilization) was in the 5th century B.C. by a Roman explorer. Can you imagine what he must have thought when he saw a beautiful silverback?!
Well, Gorillas do not drink water. They actually get it through all the foliage they eat - over 50 lbs. a day (male). But do they, like all their counterparts like the water?
Here you see it! They will walk through water, play in the water, and sit and eat in the water.
This should answer all your questions!
On a sidenote, I must share this with you, Vanessa sent me a picture of male bonobo, and she wrote:
"Don't touch my hair" - Max, bonobo.
chimp water orangutan water gorilla water bonobo water pygmy chimp water afraid water Turbo Tagger
This question came to me because I have heard all the "great apes" are afraid of water. So, the question is:
Are Bonobos (Chimps/Orangutans/Gorillas) afraid of water?
The "great apes" have no body fat, they are all muscle, so they can't stay afloat and swim. But...are they afraid of the water? Let's see...read on.
Bonobos
Here's the answer, picture taken by Vanessa Woods, Research Scientist at Duke University. Words cannot describe the feeling I had when I saw this picture. It's unbelievable:
This is Isiro, a beautiful female bonobo, LAUNCHING herself off a log, like a child at summer camp. Her face is turned up and sideways, showing her right profile. Taken at Lola Ya Bonobo, DRCongo, by Vanessa Woods.
Vanessa wrote, "Isiro, a young female...flings herself off it like a dancer, twisting around and holding her arms close like a ballerina, her head thrown back. i think you would really appreciate the beauty of it." Appreciate is an understatement...look at the beauty of this female - she is literally twisting like a ballerina.
"...bonobos love the water. They don't let their feet leave the ground underneath because of their hair. they are covered in thick hair all over, so when it becomes wet they get heavy - it would be like trying to swim in a heavy woolen coat. but they love the shallows and will splash around like kids in a bathtub," Vanessa added, then included these incredible pictures. They are small here, but left-click to view them up close, and just imagine how incredible this is...
(r) splashing in the water, like a boy in a bathtub, (c) grabbing a stick, (below), walking across amongst the water lollies.
And this is my favourite pic (below). Can you imagine how daring this one is to walk with only his head up for air?
Orangutan
June Rubis, Programmes Manager for the Orangutan Foundation, posted this picture, below, and wrote: "Orangutans can’t swim though they do wade...also [they] will also play with water... She sat there for a good fifteen minutes and actually bobbed up and down so the water rose up to her chin."
Siswi, the beautiful female orangutan cooling off at Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP)
Chimpanzees
This question was posed to Phillip Cronje from The Jane Goodall Institute in South Africa. "They don't really like water but will go in. They don't spend as much time as Bonobos and Orangs," he stated in an e-mail to me.
Here is an excerpt from "Ape Genius" - how a young male Chimp is holding on to a tree stem, playing in the water.
Young Chimpanzee playing in swimming hole in Senegal.
Also enjoy this youtube. Infant and young Chimps have been known though to push each other into water.
Gorillas
The first recorded gorilla sighting (by western civilization) was in the 5th century B.C. by a Roman explorer. Can you imagine what he must have thought when he saw a beautiful silverback?!
Well, Gorillas do not drink water. They actually get it through all the foliage they eat - over 50 lbs. a day (male). But do they, like all their counterparts like the water?
Here you see it! They will walk through water, play in the water, and sit and eat in the water.
This should answer all your questions!
On a sidenote, I must share this with you, Vanessa sent me a picture of male bonobo, and she wrote:
I couldn't resist sending you Max because I think you and he would
really get along. Like you, Max grew up in a foreign country. He didn't make it
to the sanctuary [Lola Ya Bonobo] and actually lived with orphan gorillas for a while.
The gorillas of course, wanted him to fit in, chest pounding, yelling
and all that, but Max is a very sensitive soul, and he only spoke
gorillas in high, shy squeaks.
He has BEAUTIFUL hair, as in the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen on a bonobo. He doesn't let ANYONE touch it. Grooming is very important in bonobo society, it cements bonds and brings them closer. But Max refuses to let anyone touch his hair. He won't go with the current trend and leaves his hair how he likes it. But he is very gentle and kind, and loves to play with the younger babies.
He has BEAUTIFUL hair, as in the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen on a bonobo. He doesn't let ANYONE touch it. Grooming is very important in bonobo society, it cements bonds and brings them closer. But Max refuses to let anyone touch his hair. He won't go with the current trend and leaves his hair how he likes it. But he is very gentle and kind, and loves to play with the younger babies.
Anyway, from reading your blog and your website, he is the bonobo at the sanctuary who most reminds me of you:)
chimp water orangutan water gorilla water bonobo water pygmy chimp water afraid water Turbo Tagger
Posted by George Zaharoff at 10 June 2009, 7:30 PM 
Categories: Project Bonobo
Tags: Water pygmy Primates bonobos swim gorillas Fear chimps orangutans
Categories: Project Bonobo
Tags: Water pygmy Primates bonobos swim gorillas Fear chimps orangutans
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