You’ve all heard the rumor that “only humans and dolphins enjoy sex.” Obviously, this is a pretty ill-considered idea, since we can’t read the minds of dolphins. We also can’t read the minds of hamsters – who might enjoy sex more than any of us, for all we know.
I’m a biologist, writing a book on the biology of sex in people and animals. Since it seems that everyone has heard this dolphin rumor, I’ll have to say something about it in my book.
Where on Earth did the rumor come from? Who first said it? I can’t track the source – but it’s probably right under my nose. One person told me they “heard it on the radio.” A fat lot of good that does me…
I always hear 'Horses’in the same “rumor.” While it may be true that dolphins (and horses) enjoy sex, it’s pretty well documented that bonobo’s do too. Moreso than humans I believe. This rumor though actually doesn’t really reek of UL to me though, it’s probably true that dolphins enjoy sex, just not that they are the only other species that do. Ever been to the zoo? Why would that monkey be masturbating if he didn’t enjoy it?
Tsk, tsk. A scientist should well know that you don’t have to read an animals mind to know a little bit about it.
“Hey, look, that bear is caught in a bear trap!”
“You think it’s in pain?”
“What am I, a mind reader?”
I think the OP is slightly wrong. The question is not whether other animals enjoy sex, but whether they engage in sex for fun with no chance of procreation.
I have heard that bonobos, porpoises and humans are in the latter category.
Not answering the OP, but believe me, there’s a lot of pink-bellied dolphins at the SeaWorld Dolphin Encounter, as well as a lot of red-faced parents trying to explain what’s happening.
To steal the title of a bad comic panel: “They’ll Do It Everytime.”
Sorry, I don’t have the thread, but I believe Cecil had a column on animals enjoying sex. In it he mentioned lesbian encounters among some non-human primates, which would certainly fall under the non-procreative category.