The current exhibit includes an exhibit of sex in the animal kingdom on the first floor. The animals were shown doing all sorts of sexual activities. The animals are custom-made sculptures showing various sexual positions. The portrayals are so vivid and what greets one upon entry is the sculpture of a male bonobo who has a sugar cane in hand and putting it into good use. The museum has writings on the wall, and videos that show the animals in sexual acts.
The thing that struck me most about the exhibit was seeing animals engage in a range of sexual acts. I mean for a long time I thought that only human beings engage in complex sex. It was interesting to see animals soliciting sex, for example, a male bonobo was trying to woo a female bonobo to have sex in exchange for sugar cane. One would be forgiven for thinking that only human beings solicit sex in exchange for things like a cigarette, money, jobs, etc.
The animals also engage in sex for fun. They engage in foreplay and it was interesting to see animals kissing, stimulating their genitals like two female bonobos who were rubbing each other’s genitals. The bonobo’s sexual activity was very high. Almost every activity they did result in sexual contact where two adult bonobos ended up rubbing each other’s genitals. Oral sex is also practiced by the animals as exhibited by a group of apes. This was eye-opening to note that sex in animals is not restricted to reproduction. Another interesting thing to note was that same-sex exists among the animals. It would have been interesting to get information on why this behavior exists in animals.
The exhibit led to the appreciation of animal diversity in sexual behavior. Same-sex sexual behavior in some of the animals led to a rethinking of same-sex sexual behavior in human beings. Does it mean that homosexuality is a natural phenomenon basing on the fact that even animals exhibit the same behavior? This is a controversial issue especially with the religious people who would see this as a justification of homosexuality in human beings. Can we use animal’s sexual orientation to justify human sexual behavior that is considered unnatural?
The benefits of the exhibit on the sex lives of animals are many. It gives information about the sexual behaviors of animals in a way that is unique and in a comfortable environment. The exhibit gives one an insight into the natural history of sex among animals. Animals are seen engaging in non-reproductive sex and this could perhaps explain the same behavior in human beings. There is the full-size sculpture of deers engaged in a threesome. This shows that sexual partnerships exist even among animals as well as with human beings.
Through watching the animals engage in different sexual acts one is left thinking about sexual behavior in human beings. Why do some human beings (sex maniacs) engage in sex all the time? Could they be likened to bonobos? The bonobos according to the videos engage in sexual acts very often. Why do they do this? Is it their way of socializing or is it in their genes?
This exhibition enabled me to learn some things that I would never have been comfortable asking. It answered questions about sex and the controversial topic of homosexuality. The animals show that the two occur for pleasure and this is natural thus this could lead to a discourse on human sexuality concerning the sexual behaviors that are not acceptable to many. This could lead to more understanding and probably tolerance of those who have unique sexual orientations.
Rape is also very rare in the animal kingdom as seen on the video showing bears. The animals are gentle and this would lead to the question why do human beings engage in acts like rape? Human beings are closely associated with animals as they belong to the same kingdom then why is the difference when it comes to this area. Why don’t the animals rape their fellow animals?
The exhibit also deals with the issue of changing sex. Some animals begin their life as one sex and change later in life to the other sex for example the marine worm which begins as a male and later transforms to become female. The Gobi fish also exhibit the same kind of behavior. When two female Gobi fish meet and one has to change into a male so that they can mate. This could perhaps help to explain why some human beings begin life as one sex and later change to the opposite sex. Most of the people who transform their gender say that they always felt like they were trapped in the wrong body type or in the very least show similarities between human beings and animals.
Promiscuity has become acceptable in human society. It is said to provide a good chance of survival as it increases the chances of passing on genes. For example, many male toads mount one female, and offspring from different males may end up being produced by the same female if she survives the ordeal. On the other hand promiscuous sex is used by the bonobos for social bonding. The members engage in sex with one another and have diverse sexual activities. Society is mostly female-dominated and conflicts are very rare. This is attributed to their high sexual activity so instead of making war, they opt to make love. This behavior could explain why some people engage in sex orgies as they do it to socialize. Though this seems a natural aspect of the animal kingdom, it puts them at a very high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
It had always been thought that animals only mate to pass on their genes to create a new generation which is a very powerful urge in both human beings and animals. However from the exhibit The Sex Lives of Animals the idea is overturned by looking at animals having sex for pleasure only. In addition, diverse sexual behaviors like homosexuality, transsexualism, masturbation, etc are brought to the limelight in the animal kingdom. This helps to shed light on some sexual behaviors exhibited by human beings and show that some are natural. To quote from one of the wall writings “By exploring the most intimate part of life, where it is often said we are most animal-like, we can appreciate the significance of research on animal sexuality and, perhaps, extrapolate these concepts to larger issues regarding sexuality in general.”