BONOBO

The Bonobo

The bonobo is our closest living relative — sharing 98.7% of our DNA — and one of the most peaceful creatures on Earth. Unlike chimpanzees, bonobo societies are matriarchal. Conflicts are resolved through play, not aggression. Food is shared with strangers voluntarily. And sex is used to diffuse tension, not just for reproduction.

But in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo — one of the most unstable countries on Earth — bonobos are being wiped out. The illegal wildlife trade, fueled by bushmeat hunting and the exotic pet market, has devastated bonobo populations across their range. And the same conflict that has killed millions of humans in the DRC is also destroying the forests that bonobos call home.

The population estimate for bonobos is notoriously uncertain — ranging from 10,000 to 50,000. Local surveys suggest numbers at the lower end of that range. What we do know is that bonobos have lost roughly 30% of their habitat in the last 20 years.