BIT BY A BONOBO
by Stephen Smith

In June of 2005 during the TASOK reunion, we visited the Bonobo Sanctuary at Petites Chutes just outside of Kinshasa. I was one of the first people to walk 500 meters up the hill to see the Bonobos behind an electric fence. A woman caretaker called them down to the main gate for banana feeding and the mothers and babies ran out of the forest first. Then the large Alpha male came to the gate with steel bars and the females and youngsters scampered away in fear. This should have been my clue to get away from the fence as well, but instead I began to talk to the woman care taker in French. She was telling me about how loving and gentle the Bonobos are and how easy it is to take care of them. Then the large male grabbed my right hand through the bars of the gate. He bit my right index finger just above the first knuckle with his canine tooth pushing into my bone and knuckle cartlidge then he slammed my hand up against the top metal bar of the gate to overextend the finger. He ran away, beating his chest and tearing up the bushes to display his dominance and perhaps to vent some frustration at being captive in the fenced area.

The savage alpha male of the clan, about 5 minutes before the bite. He is glaring at the other Bonobos who have scampered down the hill:

Here is the first photo shot by Bassel Fares about 10 minutes after I staggered from the dusty ground in front of the gate:

Barb helping me to walk 500M down to the Vet Clinic because I was feeling faint:


Dr. Scott Shannon, jumped out of Petite Chutes in his swimming trunks to the well equipped WWF Vet Clinic:


60 Minutes after, Steve looks happy on the outside but is crumbling with shock on the inside:


The next day at the Methodist Presbyterian Hostel taunting the Calendar Bonobo to have another bite:

Montreal in my 1978 Toyota pickup motorhome, I become paranoid that my throbbing finger is becoming infected and rush to the Mcgill University Emergency room where Dr. Guy who had worked in Abu Dhabi looked at X-rays to determine that only topical antibiotic ointement was necessary as a preventative to infection. This photo was taken taken 9 days after the bite:

Shame to the Alpha Male Bonobo for biting my finger and disgracing his tribe's reputation of love and cooperation.
Thanks to the Alpha Male Bonobo for not completely biting my finger off!!!

Thanks to Dr. Scott Shannon for treating my finger on the spot and to Dr. Fares for the antibiotic pills and the shoddy Kinshasa clinic for the tetanous injection.
Thanks to Barb and Melissa for holding my hand during the first few minutes when I was freaking out about my prospects for continuing a healthy life.

After about 1 month of physical therapy back at home in Doha Qatar, my finger is almost normal now. No pain to move and range of flexibility restored.

The moral of this story is to stay well out of reach of the fence if you visit the Bonobo sanctuary and to be generally wary of wild animals--so as to not let them have the chance to attack.

Happy to be alive and well,
Stephen