PART ONE
Saving the relatives of the mankind
Bonobo chimpanzees. Endangered species, found living exclusively in one place and their only natural habitat, in the area of the Congo Basin, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa. The political instability, lack of infrastructure, as well as timidity of bonobos are the reason, there has been relatively little field work done observing these very interesting species. Bonobos chimpanzees are on the IUCN Red List as “Endangered” species, being threatened by habitat destruction, human population growth, and movement, though commercial or local poaching is the most prominent and imminent threat to their future. Considered the least aggressive species among chimpanzees, bonobos are capable of altruism, compassion, empathy, kindness, patience, and sensitivity. Some evolutionary biologists suggest that bonobos may be a living example of our distant ancestors. According to anthropologists Gary Clark and Maciej Hennenberg, the human ancestors went through a bonobo-like phase, featuring reduced aggression, and associated anatomical changes exemplified in direct chimpanzee-human last common ancestor Ardipithecus Ramidus, roaming the planet cca 4 million years ago. The physical characteristics and posture of a bonobo closely resemble that of humans, more than the common chimpanzee does. The bonobo´s highly individuated facial features, similar to the human, create distinct visual characteristics and expressions, which differ from one individual to another significantly — a typical characteristic adapted for visual facial recognition in social interaction.
The Mission
Bonobos.org is a non-profit subject, with a comprehensive strategy and long-term approach to bonobo conservation. Its mission is to provide rescue, sanctuary, and rewilding to the endangered species of bonobo chimpanzees, our closest DNA relatives from the animal world. One of its key goals is to save the rainforest where bonobos live. Their natural habitat, being one of the most crucial factors has a significant role in their survival. Another one, even more threatening factor, is the illegal trade in wildlife, being a deeply concerning problem in Africa in general. In the case of bonobo species, it is the illegal hunting for their meat, that has a serious impact on the bonobo´s population and prosperity. Fighting illegal trade and protecting the bonobo rainforest habitat, the organization focuses on close cooperation with communities and governments to tackle the root causes of bonobo endangerment. Consequently, there is a serious need to educate society and raise awareness for bonobos and their plight locally and globally.
A New Home For Those In Danger
When the bonobo family is killed by the hunters, the babies are usually orphaned and later sold as pets. At Lola ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there is a place where bonobos, saved from hunting and trade do find their home, peace, and safety. The name means “Paradise for Bonobos” in Lingala, the language predominant in the DRC. Without Lola ya Bonobo there would be no sanctuary for these innocent animals. Here, the specially trained teams work with Congolese wildlife authorities to organize rescues of orphaned bonobos. Most of arriving bonobos are victims of poaching. Usually malnourished and in a bad shape, often having intestinal parasites and illnesses, the bonobos brought to a place are in urgent need of serious and intensive care. Some have broken bones, or even bullet shot wounds, others have been traumatized by the slaughter of their mother and often their entire family group. They had to endure captivity, often in terrible conditions. They survived stressful trips by motorbike, airplane, or automobile to reach the safety at Lola ya Bonobo. To help baby bonobos to overcome their trauma, each one is paired with a human substitute mother. There is a reason for that — in the wild, the bonobo moms carry their babies constantly for 4 to 5 years! Human substitute mothers are trained to provide love and care every day for quite some time. They feed, cuddle, bathe, carry and play with their “babies”, helping them to develop and grow, as well as to create social bonds with other bonobos. Being loved deeply, and with great care, nearly all of the bonobos are nursed back to health and kept for as long as needed, in some cases even for the rest of their lives. The key to their survival are people — from their substitute human mothers to a dedicated veterinarian and big-hearted, hard-working, and amazing staff.
Back To The Wilderness Healed bonobos, who are able to leave, are released back to the wild. Here, right at the sanctuary, the visitors can walk along the trails, watching bonobos happily living in the 75-acres of semi-wild habitat, playing in ponds, foraging for food, caring for their babies, or chasing each other through the trees. The bad news is that bonobos could go extinct in our lifetime, and the mission of Bonobos.org is to stop that. Since 2002, the world´s only bonobo sanctuary in the DRC has rescued and taken care of hundreds of bonobos. Today, about 70 plus bonobos of all ages live in densely forested land surrounding the place. With the goals to rewild and protect, Ekolo ya Bonobo Community Reserve is also the world´s only bonobo release site. Here, bonobos are released back into the wild, but still provided comprehensive and long-term protection. Additionally, the Community Reserve conserves the rainforest, the home of the bonobos, working with local people to create jobs, reduce poverty, and provide healthcare and education, while raising bonobo awareness. As long as the bushmeat trade and illegal wildlife trafficking exists in the DRC, poachers pose a serious threat to the bonobos. Therefore the team of dedicated eco guards patrols the reserve daily, enforcing laws that prohibit hunting of endangered bonobos and other wildlife. At the same time, the eco guards also monitor the bonobos´activities at Ekolo. And they are not alone in their effort when protecting the precious species — the people of Basankusu have become “bonobo guardians”, watching over the bonobos wilderness home as well.
The Only Natural Habitat With a close watch over the bonobos raised at Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary, the Ekolo reserve borders a river that joins the aquatic transport in Congo. This brings each year thousands of people on the motorboats and canoes to watch bonobos exclusively in their natural habitat. Bonobos can be viewed on raised platforms on the shore, coming out of the protected rainforest, the safe place of 120 000 acre reserve in Équateur Province, DRC — where this specie, with DNA differing to a human only by 1,3% finds its happy live. Up to 30,000 people visit the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary outside Kinshasa every year. The Congo Basin is home to the second-largest rainforest in the world. Approximately 60% of this rainforest is located on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Yet not all Congolese people actually know, that the rainforests are the only place in the universe, where endangered bonobos can be found! With the support of donators and education, there is a chance to stop the rainforest destruction, and keep this land for the future generations.
For more information, please visit www.bonobos.org
