Bonobo Survival:
Understanding
Conservation
Bonobos are:
 Great apes
 Residents of the Democratic Republic of
Congo
 Very social beings
 Matriarchal
 Egalitarian
 Peaceful
 Endangered
Bonobos are an
endangered species
 At this point, no one knows how many
bonobos remain.
 Estimates range from 5,000 to 50,000
total.
 Bonobos are in extreme peril.
What do bonobos need to
survive?
 Food
 A home – forests
 Safety
The two biggest
specific threats to
bonobos are:
Hunting and
habitat destruction
Life is tough for many
residents of the Democratic
Republic of Congo
 The Congo War, which officially ended in
2003, claimed more than 4 million lives.
 The people and the communities were
badly affected by all the violence.
 Many people lost their farms or their jobs.
 The people are still trying to rebuild, and
most live in extreme poverty.
Hunting for “bushmeat”
 People living within and near the forests
hunt wild animals, “bushmeat,” as a way
of life and means for survival. They have
for a very long time.
 Increasingly, however, people are also
hunting wild animals, including bonobos,
for sale in the commercial bushmeat
trade.
Illegal Logging
 The Congolese government has a
current ban on new logging.
 But illegal logging continues.
 This destroys bonobo habitat.
Key Points
 Some people are motivated by a need to
survive. There are few jobs and many
people are hungry.
 Some people are motivated by greed.
They do not know the harm they are
causing, or they do not care.
What should be done
to save bonobos and
ensure they can live
safe lives?
 Habitat protection – bonobos need their forest
home
 Sustainable jobs - bonobos’ human neighbors
need jobs and forms of livelihood which do not
hurt animals
 Action and enforcement – laws created to
protect bonobos and their home need to be
enforced
 Education – the more people know, they more
likely they are to care
Conservation has to have
many components