But while females scurried off after the swim without bonding to the males as they normally would, male voles bonded faster than ever."

With whom?
Is bonding used here as an euphemism for blatant sex?

Bonding, as used in today's prissy world, is a fuzzy word that has yet to find a precise meaning. I use it often, most often when I almost know what I'm talking about. Like below...

Bonding in voles and men is complex, and can only be reduced to chemical determants as a point-guide to full comprehension.

Did I make myself clear? - -