Into the wild

Observing the natives in their natural habitat

By Kris Frieswick

Field notes. Date: 1/20/01. Place: a tribal gathering club of young native males and females. Observation time: 11 .m.–12:45 a.m. Preparation notes: in an attempt to blend in with the natives, I adopt tribal dress — a midriff-baring tank top, plaid hip-huggers, Steve Madden shoes. I feel ridiculous, but it appears that I have slipped into this gathering place without arousing undue alarm. My subjects seem to have accepted me as one of their own.

11:02 p.m. — I have situated myself near a pack of five young males. They are laughing loudly and drinking their customary frosty tribal beverage. Five females, all in prime reproductive years, enter and take up position approximately 10 feet away from the males. They also request tribal beverages. The males feign disinterest and jostle one another, mimicking the competitive behaviors of more mature males. What a thrill to be close to these magnificent, untamed creatures in their natural habitat. Yet I sense a certain tension among the males. Each seems to be glancing furtively in the females’ direction.

11:10 p.m. — The males and females have failed to make any verbal contact, but they are clearly aware of each other’s presence. The large, tattooed, balding male specimen whom I have nicknamed “Tiny” seems to be especially averse to the presence of the females. Perhaps he feels threatened because of his lack of success in mating during my past observations. These tribal gatherings always seem to end with Tiny returning to his hut alone, while the other males leave to establish short-lived pair bonds with willing females.

11:20 p.m. — The females begin the courtship dance. What a remarkable display! Textbooks and lab study never really prepare you for witnessing these behaviors in the wild. They are so authentic, and yet so predictable. And they have predictable results. One of the females executes a simple “hair-behind-ear tuck,” which past observations have indicated is more functional than sexual. Yet as soon as she touches her hair, the males perk up and take more direct notice. Then, another of the females executes a classic “head toss,” which elicits an immediate and measurable reaction from the males. Their jostling immediately ceases, and all eyes are riveted on the females.

Curiously, none of the males has yet approached the obviously receptive females. I have yet to create a viable hypothesis as to why the stronger, more aggressive males harbor such fear of the typically weaker female gender. Perhaps it relates to the maternal relationship formed by these males during their infant and childhood years, a relationship that holds such power over them that they are never truly able to establish firm self-identities outside the overwhelming security of the maternal influence. Or maybe they are already pair-bonded to females who are not at the tribal gathering — but past observations have indicated that the pair-bonded condition is but a minor obstacle to the male’s pursuit of any attractive, willing tribal female of reproductive age.

11:30 p.m. — What an exciting exhibition of traditional tribal mating customs! Within 10 minutes, the females have utilized the hair tussle and the two-handed hair push-back; one has repeatedly engaged in the rarely used hair twirl; and two have used the hand-on-hip thrust. The males are rendered nearly incapable of anything but staring blankly. One, who would be the alpha male if he weren’t so short, appears ready to make a move toward the gathering of females.

11:35 p.m. — The alpha-male wanna-be, who I have named “Biff,” has approached the females and procured for them a round of tribal beverages, “on his tab.” This male counterpoint to the female hair toss is designed to demonstrate the male’s superiority as a “hunter,” and to showcase his ability to provide for the female and any potential offspring they may produce.

11:40 p.m. — Researchers of Arctic animals have long observed the curious habits of penguins, who gather at the edge of icebergs preparing to dive in to feed, but instead jostle one another until one is pushed into the water. If that penguin is not immediately eaten by a seagoing predator, all the penguins dive headlong into the sea. Much the same dynamic is at work tonight. No sooner has Biff procured the tribal beverages than the rest of the male natives in his band make a beeline for the females, and immediately engage them in chatting up, the precursor to “hooking up,” which then leads to the aforementioned temporary pair-bonding. I watch, enraptured, as each male chooses a female and begins to talk, at length, about himself. This behavior is common and serves as a form of sexual advertising designed to demonstrate to the female his superiority over all other potential mates. Strangely, my research has shown that males at tribal gatherings rarely, if ever, ask the females any questions about themselves. This leads me to believe that the males of this tribe have evolved the ability to gather all the information they need by merely looking at the females. What a remarkable evolutionary adaptation!

12:45 a.m. — Last call at the tribal gathering. All my subjects look as if they have had too much frosty tribal beverage. The males appear to have “hooked up,” except of course for Tiny, who is sitting alone staring into the bottom of an empty glass. At about 12:30 a.m., one of the female band left in a slightly agitated state muttering something about “pathetic losers.” I myself needed to ward off an unwanted advance from a tribal male from another pack who had obviously mistaken me for one of the natives. Without calling attention to myself, I flashed my left hand, where I wear a fake three-carat engagement ring, a highly effective deterrent recognized instantly by all male members of the tribe. Perhaps this time, in my enthusiasm for the chance to view this exceptional ritual, I got too close to my subjects. I must remember to keep my distance from these magnificent creatures, regardless of how fascinating I find them. My job, as always, is to observe, not to participate.

Kris Frieswick can be reached at krisf1@gte.net.