Birth in bonobos (Pan paniscus): a case report

Birth in non-human primates has been described in several species but there is an almost total lack of data about the reactions of other group members towards the mother and the newborn. This report describes a delivery by a member (hereafter «the mother») of a captive group of bonobos (Pan paniscus) hosted at Apenheul Primate Park (The Netherlands). Three observers followed the group: one of them collected data on the mother, named kumbuka, via focal animal sampling, the second registered the identities and behaviours of group members that were in proximity of the mother, and the last one video-recorded the delivery. The mother performed the characteristic squatting posture dur- ing contractions, touched her vaginal area and moved her hands from her vagina to her mouth and licked her fingers. Four females (two adult, one juvenile, and one infant) were extremely interested in the mother: they followed and fre- quently touched her. Males and the other pregnant female never approached the mother before birth took place. We also observed the consumption of the placenta, which was shared among group members. Although the other pregnant female was one of the most important females in the group, she was never seen in proximity of the mother and she neither asked for the placenta nor received it.