Hug This Animal: Bonobo
I held off on posting about the bonobo for a few weeks so it would not look like I’m petting my favorite animal too much, but alas, I can’t hold off another week.
No, it’s not a chimpanzee. It’s a bonobo!
Although bonobos have been called pygmy chimpanzees, their behavior is very different from chimps. They are more peaceful and are led by the females, instead of males. Bonobos really like, uh, making love for the sake of making love. That’s really unique in the animal kingdom. They also use this peaceful activity for conflict resolution. They’ve even been called the hippies of the rain forest (Make Love, Not War!). And those bonobos are only kissing in the photo. No animal love photos here.
The last of the great apes to be discovered, the bonobo shares more of our DNA than any other animal on earth. (Some scientists argue that the chimpanzee is just as closely related since the two are so similar.) Sadly, the bonobo has been considered endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 1996.
We don’t really know how many bonobos exist today. They are scattered around in one of the largest rain forests in the world: the Congo basin. Estimates range from 5,000 to 50,000 with bonobos existing only in pockets of their original range. Surveys have shown that their numbers are declining. Learn more about the animals of the Congo basin at this World Wildlife Federation page.
Hunting is a major threat to bonobos. It’s difficult to imagine these creatures being smoked and sold in bushmeat markets, but that is happening very often. Habitat destruction is another big concern for the bonobo. Increasing human population and political instability of the Congo also make the future survival of the bonobo uncertain.
The Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) is the only international organization dedicating itself solely to helping the bonobo. Among many other projects, BCI rescues bonobo orphans who’ve lost their moms to hunting. One of their major projects is the Bonobo Peace Forest, a place of conservation and research. You can read about all of BCI’s many projects here.
Help the bonobo.
While bonobos live only in the rain forest of the Congo (the second-largest in the world), anything that you do to help protect any rain forest helps endangered wildlife.
•Choose organic, fair trade and shade-grown coffee and chocolate. Shade grown means that the coffee beans or cacao are grown under a canopy of existing trees instead of clearing them. This practice also greatly helps tropical birds. Find places to buy at the Fair Trade Federation.
•Buy products certified through the Rainforest Alliance. Such products are guaranteed to be grown in the shade, using no (or low amounts of) pesticides. Farmers working with the Rainforest Alliance maintain the animal and tree diversity on their land.
•Volunteer to help BCI or give a donation. Also, spread the word about them.
•Help with a click. Visit the The Rainforest Site daily and a donation will be made to help preserve rain forests. You can also send free e-cards.
Image credits: Bonobo eating photo and bonobos kissing from flickr.
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2 opinions for Hug This Animal: Bonobo
Jennifer
Mar 7, 2008 at 2:56 pm
How cute. I’m not monkey type o’girl, but you gotta love rain forest hippies. That’s cool. That DNA fact is pretty neat too. Now I know why I like peaceful living so much ;)
Peggy
Mar 7, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I thought the hippie nickname was cool too. The bonobos at my local zoo are probably inside today. We’re getting our first snow of the season. Yeah, in March.
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