The innocence of this face is alluring isn’t it? I am referring to the baby bonobo of course. Anderson Cooper is not all that innocent looking but he does exude a lot of love for this little ball of fur, doesn’t he?
When I watched this 12 minute segment of 60 minutes I cried. My tears were both sad and happy. Sad because bonobos are being pushed to the brink of extinction by the bush meat trade and the destruction of their habitat. Happy because the mainstream media is finally acknowledging that it might make sense for humans to pay attention to how bonobos achieve their peaceful culture. That despite our big human brains we may not have all the answers to questions crucial to our own survival. And that we might be able to learn something from another species like the bonobo.
For many years I have hoped that more people would learn about bonobos and their peaceful ways. Yet for years I have spoken about bonobos publicly only to encounter blank stares: what is a bonobo?
Further, any assertion that we might be able to learn something of worth from bonobos – something which might even help humans solve some of our most vexing problems such as murder and war – is often met with derision. Several mainstream articles have endeavored to “prove” that bonobos are not as peaceful as they are. Some journalists have tried to undermine any hope that we humans might find solutions to our propensity for violence in bonobo culture.
And now, Anderson Cooper has taken a bold stance advocating for learning a more peaceful, loving path from the bonobos.
It doesn’t surprise me that it took a gay man to get us here. Who else would have the cajones to go against the status quo?
Watch this amazing program and let me know if it touches your heart too!