It's All Bonobo to Me: How to Talk Like an Ape!

Wow in the World

Tinkercast | Wondery

Education, Stories For Kids, Education For Kids, Kids & Family

4.6 • 29.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Did you know bonobos have their very own way of talking to each other? In this Wow in the World episode, Mindy is using a new language learning app to try and help her communicate better with her pen-pal. The only issue is, her pen pal is an ape! From playful gestures to powerful vocalizations, bonobos use a language all their own to express feelings, build relationships, and keep their families connected. This jaw-dropping episode dives into the science of how bonobos communicate, why it matters for scientists, and what kids can learn about the importance of empathy, teamwork, and listening.

Wow in the World is the #1 science podcast for kids and families, and this episode is packed with laughter, curiosity, and discovery. Want to hear how apes like bonobos share secrets, solve problems, and even laugh together? You’ll discover just how similar bonobo communication is to human interaction and why scientists study these great apes to understand ourselves better.

New episodes of Wow in the World come out every Monday for free! Plus, each week listeners get even more opportunities to say WOW with two other shows: Two Whats?! And A WOW!, a science-based game show, and WeWOW, a variety show hosted by our World Organization of Wowzers president, Dennis! Want even more wow?

✨ Keep the fun going with Wow in the World:

Grownups can visit https://bit.ly/4pU76WO to join the World Organization of Wowzers (WOW) to unlock exclusive activities, birthday cards, quarterly mailings, first dibs at live shows, and a welcome kit with an autographed photo of Mindy & Guy Raz! Plus, Grownups help support our podcast and our mission to create content and experiences that connect laughter to learning, curiosity to innovation and kids to the WOWs in their world!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Grownups, Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Wow in the world early and ad-free right now.
0:06.3	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or Wondery Kids Plus on Apple Podcasts.
0:13.8	Hello, Wowsers. It's me, Dennis.
0:17.2	And before we start the show, this month, for our new members, you can have Reggie in your pocket.
0:24.5	No, Rezie, not for real. You're too huge. You can't fit in pockets. I'm talking about our exclusive VIP new member t-shirt.
0:34.3	Grownups for a limited time only, new members to the World Organization of Wowsers can get this t-shirt.
0:42.7	Featuring Reggie!
0:44.9	Yeah, Reggie, see, it's a red shirt with a shirt pocket and your little head is poking out so it looks like you're in the pocket.
0:52.4	Every membership helps support our podcasts
0:55.1	and Tinkercast mission to spread wow
0:57.8	to families and teachers around the world.
1:01.9	That's right, Reggie.
1:02.9	Our members also get birthday cards from Mindy and Guy,
1:06.6	quarterly mailings from you, Reggie,
1:08.6	and so much more.
1:11.2	Grownups, for access to this t-shirt, visit tinkercast.com slash membership.
1:17.2	And sign up your wowser today.
1:19.7	That's tinkercast.com slash membership.
1:23.2	That's it.
1:24.0	Now let's get back to my show.
1:26.1	I mean, our show. I mean, our show.
1:27.7	I mean, the show.
	...

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