Factors shaping socio-emotional trajectories in sanctuary-living bonobos: a longitudinal approach

Kordon, Stephanie; Webb, Christine E.; Brooker, Jake S.; de Waal, Frans B.M.; Clay, Zanna

Abstract

Early maternal loss can have lasting detrimental effects on primate social development. While many rehabilitation settings provide enriching environments to buffer against such effects in orphans, previous research indicates that young bonobo (Pan paniscus) orphans exhibit striking deficiencies in socio-emotional competence compared to their mother-reared peers. However, such studies are generally cross-sectional, without accounting for changes across the lifespan. We conducted longitudinal observations in bonobos living in an accredited African ape sanctuary to examine how rearing background, sex and age predict social tendencies including affiliation, consolation and aggression risk. Affiliative tendencies increased in females and decreased in males with age but were overall lower in orphans compared to mother-reared bonobos. Consolation tendencies decreased with age in mother-reared bonobos, while orphans showed consistently lower consolation (akin to levels of older mother-reared individuals). Young and male bonobos were more likely to receive aggression, while mother-reared and older females were more likely aggressors. Our study highlights the potential that ape sanctuaries like this can have by demonstrating that orphans exhibit decreased affiliative tendencies yet show social functioning ranging within patterns of their mother-reared peers. We discuss these results in the context of bonobos’ natural social ecology and ongoing rehabilitation efforts in this species.

Citation

Kordon, S., Webb, C. E., Brooker, J. S., de Waal, F. B., & Clay, Z. (2024). Factors shaping socio-emotional trajectories in sanctuary-living bonobos: a longitudinal approach. Royal Society Open Science, 11(12), Article 240435. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240435

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 25, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 18, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-12
• Deposit Date: Jan 15, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 15, 2025
• Journal: Royal Society Open Science
• Electronic ISSN: 2054-5703
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: 240435
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240435
• Keywords: maternal loss, rehabilitation, social development, rearing, consolation, sociability
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3229454