Face-to-face mating 'a first'
2008-02-13 14:50
Washington - Leah, the first
gorilla ever seen using tools, has secured herself another
small place in history by becoming the first gorilla captured
on film mating face-to-face, researchers reported on Tuesday.
A team from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Max
Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig,
Germany photographed the unusual scene in the Republic of
Congo.
Although other researchers have reported seeing gorillas
in such a human-like position, none had ever been
photographed.
"We can't say how common this manner of mating is,
but it has never been observed with western gorillas in the
forest," said Max-Planck's Thomas Breuer, who photographed the
gorilla couple along with colleague Mireille Ndoundou
Hockemba.
"It is fascinating to see similarities between gorilla and
human sexual behaviour demonstrated by our observation."
The researchers have been studying the group of western
gorillas in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of
Congo.
"Understanding the behaviour of our cousins the great apes
sheds light on the evolution of behavioural traits in our own
species and our ancestors," Breuer added.
"It is also interesting that this same adult female has
been noted for innovative behaviours before."
Writing in the Gorilla Gazette, Breuer and Hockemba said
they watched Leah mating with a silverback male named George,
who dominates the small group.
"Leah was lying on the ground and George was looking into
Leah's eyes," the report reads.
The western lowland gorilla is a critically endangered
species, with populations down 60% under pressure from
human hunters, destruction of their habitat, and health threats
such as the Ebola virus, which kills gorillas and humans
alike.
Leah made headlines around the world in 2005 when she was
seen using a stick to test the depth of a pool of water before
wading into it.
Breuer said only a few primates such as bonobos mate in a
face-to-face position, known technically as ventro-ventral
copulation. Most usually mate while facing in the same
direction.