Bonobos Caring for Group Members There are quite a few social
animals in the world, but few species go out of their way to act
as a group to help or care for group members that are injured or
distressed. Humans are the biggest exception and now we can add
bonobos to that short list. Why are Bonobos different from other
primates when it comes to this behavior? Researchers think that
being led by females may be the key. As soon as the other group
members realised the male was trapped, they gathered around him.
One untangled the snare from woody ground vines, enabling the
male to move. Another tried and failed to remove the wire. Later
in the day, the bonobos returned to the dry forest to sleep. The
injured male could not follow. The next morning, to the
researchers' surprise, the bonobos travelled almost 2 kilometres
back to where they had last seen their injured friend. The
animals had already ruled out the area as a good source of
fruit, suggesting they went back just to find him. He had moved
on, but rejoine