Sisterhood In The Wild—Female Bonobos Team Up Against Male Dominance

Deep in the jungles of Congo, a powerful story of sisterhood is unfolding among bonobos, one of humanity's closest relatives. A new study reveals that female bonobos form tight-knit groups to confront and deter aggressive males, and they're incredibly effective at it. It's one of the rare times such a strategy has allowed females to come out on top in the animal kingdom.

Sisterhood For Survival

Researchers observed that female bonobos at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo regularly teamed up to defend themselves and each other from male aggression.

"The most striking example was a group of females ganging up on a male who had been aggressive toward one of them — they basically kicked him out of the group for a while," said Liran Samuni, a primatologist and study co-author at Harvard University.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, highlights how these social bonds help females resist male dominance, a dynamic often normalised in primate societies. But in bonobo communities, cooperation and connection among females seem to shift the power balance.

These girl groups chased male bonobos out of trees, securing food for themselves, researchers found.

"It's very clear that you don't want to overstep as a male bonobo," said study author Martin Surbeck from Harvard University.

Power in Numbers

It turns out, it's not size or strength that gives these female bonobos an edge, but numbers and unity. Unlike their chimpanzee cousins, who often display male-dominated hierarchies, bonobos flip the script.

"Females who had more female social partners were more likely to support others and receive support during conflicts with males," said Samuni.

This dynamic isn’t just empowering, it’s strategic. By grooming each other, forming coalitions, and standing up collectively, bonobo females keep male aggression in check and create a more cooperative social environment.

These findings don’t just offer insight into bonobo behaviour, they echo something deeply human. Female solidarity, whether in the wild or the workplace, has the power to challenge unfair hierarchies and reshape the rules.