Bonobos(Picture: Boyoma, a Bonobo I adpoted)
Bonobos have are the least well known of all the great apes and the one I spend the most time trying to help.
Bonobos are genetically almost 99% the same as humans. In the wild, Bonobos only live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the horrible wars in that area have made life hard for bonobos and for people who try to help bonobos.
Bonobos are a lot like chimpanzees but they have a more slender build, walk upright more, and have darker faces. Dr. William Calvin’s “Which ape is this?” is good practice for being able to tell bonobos from chimpanzees http://williamcalvin.com/portraits/apes.htm After you look at bonobos for a while, you can tell right away. Bonobos are also much more peaceful than chimpanzees. They live in large groups with the females being dominant. They don’t fight as much within their groups or when they meet up with other groups. Some people call them “hippy chimps” because they believe in “make love, not war.”
In North America, you can visit and learn about bonobos at the following Zoos
Cincinnati Zoo
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Fort Worth Zoo
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Memphis Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
I have visited Cincinnati, Columbus, San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. All of them have very good habitats for their bonobos. In the Wild Animal Park the bonobos are able to wander almost as if they were not in captivity. All these zoos support bonobos in the wild. Even just looking at bonobos in a zoo you realize how extremely incredible and smart they are.
To read my page about the Great Ape Trust of Iowa and Kanzi the World's most famous bonobo and his family Click Here
Another organization helping bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Lola Ya Bonobo.
Lola Ya Bonobo is a sanctuary to help look after orphaned and injured bonobos and they educate people about bonobos and bonobo conservation. Lola Ya Bonobo was started by Claudine Andre. You can read about her on the heroes section of my Fun Stuff page. Boyoma the bonobo I adopted lives there. They have a fun website at
The Bonobo Conservation Initiative is doing lots and lots of good things to help bonobos in the wild. They have a great website for information about bonobos and other ideas on how to help bonobos. It is a great organization.
There are several books about bonobos. One that has lots of information and many good pictures is Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape by Frans de Waal and Frans Lanting
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN MY GUESTBOOK AND FOR ANY MORE INFORMATION EMAIL ME AT apeaware@gmail.com
