19
into
wild tantrums, lashed about violently on the ground, and ran off
screaming. Finally, a worried Flo was forced to calm her son by
offering him her breast. Later, Flint developed even more aggressive
techniques for ensuring his supply of mother's milk. If Flo tried to
shrug him off, Flint struck her with his fists, and punctuated the
pummeling with sharp bites.
At an age when other chimps have freed themselves from
parental apron strings, Flint was still acting like a baby. Though he was
a strapping young lad, and his mother was increasingly feeble, Flint
insisted that his mama carry him everywhere. If Flo stopped to rest
and Flint was anxious to taste the fruit of the trees at their next
destination, the hulking child would push, prod and whimper to get
his mom moving again. Then he'd climb on her back and enjoy the
ride. When shoves and whines didn't motivate his mother to pick him
up and cart him where he wanted to go, Flint would occasionally give
the exhausted lady a strong kick. At night, Flint was old enough to
build a sleeping nest of his own. Instead, he insisted on climbing into
bed with his mommy.
Flint should have turned his attention from Flo to the other
chimps his age, forging ties to the superorganism--the chimpanzee
tribe--of which he was a part. But he did not. The consequence would
be devastating.46
Flint's mother died. Theoretically, Flint's instincts should have
urged him to survive. But three weeks later, he went back to the spot
where his mother had breathed her last and curled up in a fetal ball.
Within a few days, he too was dead.
An autopsy revealed that there was nothing physically wrong
with Flint: no infection, no disease, no handicap.47 In all probability, the
youngster's death had been caused by the simian equivalent of that
voice which tells humans going through a similar loss that there's
nothing left to live for. Flint had been cut loose from his single bond to
the superorganism. That separation had killed him.
<< < GO > >>
19
into
wild tantrums, lashed about violently on the ground, and ran off
screaming. Finally, a worried Flo was forced to calm her son by
offering him her breast. Later, Flint developed even more aggressive
techniques for ensuring his supply of mother's milk. If Flo tried to
shrug him off, Flint struck her with his fists, and punctuated the
pummeling with sharp bites.
At an age when other chimps have freed themselves from
parental apron strings, Flint was still acting like a baby. Though he was
a strapping young lad, and his mother was increasingly feeble, Flint
insisted that his mama carry him everywhere. If Flo stopped to rest
and Flint was anxious to taste the fruit of the trees at their next
destination, the hulking child would push, prod and whimper to get
his mom moving again. Then he'd climb on her back and enjoy the
ride. When shoves and whines didn't motivate his mother to pick him
up and cart him where he wanted to go, Flint would occasionally give
the exhausted lady a strong kick. At night, Flint was old enough to
build a sleeping nest of his own. Instead, he insisted on climbing into
bed with his mommy.
Flint should have turned his attention from Flo to the other
chimps his age, forging ties to the superorganism--the chimpanzee
tribe--of which he was a part. But he did not. The consequence would
be devastating.46
Flint's mother died. Theoretically, Flint's instincts should have
urged him to survive. But three weeks later, he went back to the spot
where his mother had breathed her last and curled up in a fetal ball.
Within a few days, he too was dead.
An autopsy revealed that there was nothing physically wrong
with Flint: no infection, no disease, no handicap.47 In all probability, the
youngster's death had been caused by the simian equivalent of that
voice which tells humans going through a similar loss that there's
nothing left to live for. Flint had been cut loose from his single bond to
the superorganism. That separation had killed him.
<< < GO > >>