One of the older bonobos that I cared for had come in with severe health problems. From Grains of Golden Sand:"The keepers named her Molaso, which brought a wry grin to Lingalaphones* because it means “pretty girl” (or, alternatively, “trollop”, “hussy”, “tramp”). For years, Molaso had difficulty eating because she had lost many teeth from illness. As she matured, I was pleased to note the eruption of a complete adult dentition."
Years later, Molaso was one of the lucky six who found a new home in Holland, at the Apenheul Primate Park. I heard through the grapevine that there was an embarrassing moment in front of some Congolese visitors, when they learned the name: Molaso. Apparently, it was politically incorrect -- My workers had innocently interpreted her very sexy, normal bonobo behavior.
*Lingala is one of four official dialects used in Zaire. It was the military, trading, and most common local tongue in Kinshasa.
Photo by: D. Messinger
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