Pan Paniscus: A Tribute

Pan paniscus, also known as the Bonobo, is one of the two existing species of chimpanzee. Though frequently found in zoos, the Bonobo only exists in the wild in the Republic of Congo, and is an endangered species. Of course, a sex blog is obviously not the proper venue for a conservationist lecture.


When I was twenty years old, my junior college human sexuality teacher sang the praises of the Bonobo. As a species, she told us, the Bonobo was far more sexually liberated than virtually any other, including human beings. One of the few species that has sex for reasons beyond procreation, Bonobos are known to engage in a varied list of sexual practices otherwise associated almost exclusively with humans. Among these practices are oral sex, mutual genital stimulation, open-mouth kissing, and some aspects of communal or group sex. Additionally, Bonobos are bisexual, and males and females are as inclined toward sexual activity with their own gender as they are with the opposite. Frottage, or non-penetrative sexual contact, typically genital-to-genital, is common between males and females.


In spite of the species' collective open mind, the Bonobo population is well under control, with the average female producing a single offspring once every five or six years. Unlike many species, Bonobos understand that there is a distinction between sexual activity and procreation, and have apparently learned to have sex for the fun of it. In Bonobo society, sex may be offered to prevent aggression between members, or to make peace following a conflict. After two males fight over a female, they may reconcile with a kiss, or by rubbing their penises or scrotal sacs together. Among females, such same-sex interaction is a means of bonding. It's worth noting that Bonobo society is matriarchal.



I never quite understood why my teacher thought so highly of a species of chimpanzee. Sure, it was amusing to think of a species of animal that might have been hornier than humans, but I never got her admiration for them. But in researching the Bonobo, it has occurred to me that she might have been right. For these primates, sex is a fact of life. Much like eating or sleeping, it's almost second nature. When a Bonobo wants sex, he or she doesn't have to pretend to be something other than him- or herself. No games are played. It made me wonder what life would be like for humans if we didn't have hang-ups about sex, and didn't have to cajole, coerce, or finagle in order to get laid. Maybe Bonobos have the right idea.

Pan paniscus, I salute you.

-Jack