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[Josh Greenman <josh.greenman AT gmail.com>]

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7114519&page=1

Sexy Beasts: Bonobos Make Love, Not War

Does Species Facing Extinction Hold Clues to the Origins of Man?

By DAN HARRIS

MALEBO, Democratic Republic of Congo, March 19, 2009—

In the middle of one of the least explored places on the planet, you
can catch a glimpse of man's closest cousin.

Bonobos are thought of as possibly the only animals who resolve their
conflicts not through violence, but through sex. In fact, they are
also believed to be among the only animals, other than humans, who
have sex for fun, as opposed to just for breeding.

Often called the "erotic apes," bonobos are 98.5 percent genetically
similar to humans.

"Nightline" took the incredibly difficult journey into the heart of
the Congo to meet up with Bila-Isia Inogwabini, who goes by "Ino." Ino
is a researcher for the World Wildlife Fund who is pushing a
controversial theory -- that this is the first place humans appeared
on Earth.

Watch the story tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET

He is credited with having made an incredible discovery -- a
population of 2,000 of the extremely rare bonobos living in a vast
stretch of the African jungle. That discovery represents a huge
development for a species that some fear is headed toward extinction.

"The world did not know it existed," he said, and we were the first
international reporters he took to see them.

But it wasn't easy. Over three days, we fought our way through nearly
20 miles of hot, dark jungle, menaced by man-eating ants and
incredibly persistent bees.

Often, we set out before dawn. But when we finally got close, it was 
thrilling.

First, we heard the bonobos crashing through the trees. Then we heard
their voices -- it sounded like a horror movie soundtrack.

And when we finally saw them, they looked like acrobatic cavemen.

A romantic mythology has built up around bonobos, a species believed
to be much more peaceful than chimpanzees, which can be ferociously
violent.

"[Bonobos] tend to solve their problems using sex, rather than
violence," Ino explained.

That's right, bonobos are believed to resolve issues over food and
territory not through violence, but through sex.

Bonobo Bonding

Aside from humans, they are the only other animals that make love for
fun, not just for procreation.

"And this brings them closer to us than any other mammal," Ino said.

Bonobos have group sex, gay sex, oral sex and face-to-face sex.
They've even been reported to French kiss.

Many people think the reason bonobos are so peaceful -- they can often
be seen quietly grooming one another -- is that the society is run by
females.

Right now, however, the incredible animals are critically endangered.
They have the bad luck of existing only in one country -- the
impoverished, lawless and war-ravaged Congo, where poachers are
hunting them for food.

They are considered to be a delicacy "in some provinces of Congo,"
said Ino, "and some tribes."

We visited the Friends of Bonobos sanctuary in the Congo -- called
Lola Ya Bonobo -- where nearly every animal has had its parents killed
by poachers.

They do seem incredibly gentle, and human. We were even allowed to
interact with the babies. While the young bonobos are playful, they
are considered psychologically vulnerable without parents, and are
given human surrogate mothers.

The surrogates "form a relationship with the animals, because the baby
cannot live without their mothers," said one of the handlers.

Back in the jungle, Ino said he's witnessed bonobos engaged in very
human-like behavior, and has even seen them cry. But perhaps most
human of all is the fact that bonobos occasionally walk upright, which
has led Ino to put forth his radical theory.

The Evolution of Man?

The bonobos he discovered are the only ones who live in an area that
is a mixture of jungle and savannah -- the African plains. This forces
them to walk upright more than they would in the jungle. That is why
Ino thinks this is exactly the type of environment that would have
given rise to the first humans.

"I really strongly feel that people may have evolved from this
region," he said. "It's a big claim, yes, I understand, but I really
think it is worth it to put it on the table."

The prevailing theory among scientists right now is that the first
humans evolved thousands of miles from the Congo, in eastern Africa.
The experts with whom we discussed Ino's theory dismissed it as
far-fetched.

"I may not be taken seriously now, but I believe that within the 15 or
20 years after today, that claim may be proved as true," he said.

At the very least, his theory could draw more attention to the
bonobos, and could teach us a thing or two about conflict resolution.