Lucy Bonobo Nursing Mom

Lucy, a five-year old bonobo at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is still nursing her mother, Lorel. Although it seems like a long time for weaning, five years is not unusual for this highly social, highly intelligent ape. A lengthy dependency on mother insures enough time to learn bonobo skills, but it also means that each female can only give birth to a small number of offspring (nursing inhibits pregnancy) in the wild.

In the past, captive bonobo babies were taken from their mothers to be raised by humans, partly because the females, no longer lactating, would become pregnant again, and partly to attract visitors. "Pulling" infants, with the exception of legitimate medical reasons, is no longer allowed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) bonobo Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Photo by M. Brickner