Saving Bonobos

                              Bonobos

                   

Bonobo is an ape and many people may get it mixed up with a chimpanzee.  Just like chimpanzees, bonobos have 98.7%  of the same DNA as humans. However, more and more bonobos are dying and becoming endangered  because of humans.

Why Bonobos are Endangered

   
   Bonobos are endangered! They are really rare now. The estimated number of bonobos left are about 5000-50000. If we don't act quickly and start saving the bonobos, they may become extinct.

    Why are bonobos endangered? Bonobos mainly live in the rain forests of the Dominion Republic of Congo (DRC). The wars in DRC have made it more difficult to save the natural environments that bonobos live in. During the war there were no one tracking  where the bonobos went and how many were left. Another reason why bonobos are becoming endangered is deforestation. Large areas of rain forests have been chopped down and destroyed to make paper and furniture. There are also threats from human hunting and illegal trading. Some bonobos are sold,and worse, some get eaten. The poachers have to kill the mother in order to get the baby bonobos, which can be sold for a high price as pets.   Bonobos are so genetically close to humans, yet humans play a big part in killing them.
       
                                                                     

                                                                                                       Habitat

             

       Bonobos are only found in the lush rain forests of central Democratic Republic of Congo south of the Congo River. To be more specific bonobos live mainly in the heart of the Congo basin, the second largest rain forest in the world. The Congo basin is approximately 3.7 square kilometers. Due to war, illegal hunting, and deforestation, bonobos survival is jeopardized.  Habitat loss is a big issue. Many forests are being destroyed to make more cities and the bonobos are losing their homes and lives. Recent surveys showed many areas that had bonobos 20 years ago now have none. 
   
      Tropical forests are the only habitats that meet the bonobos' needs. These forests meet the temperature and annual rain fall requirements for the bonobos. The average monthly air temperature in these regions is between 20° to 30° C and it's average rainfall is 63-80 inches per year. Also, these rain forests provide the right food for bonobos- mainly fruit and other small mammals that bonobos eat. 

        
      Bonobos can survive in areas close to human communities that are willing to help these peaceful apes. There are sanctuaries in DRC which provide bonobos with a safe place to live, without the threat of illegal hunting.

                                                                                                               How Can We Help To Protect Bonobos

      There are many things we can do to help bonobos and all other species that are endangered. One thing we can do is saving trees.  It's like a cycle. If we recycle then we can save paper and in turn save trees. By saving trees less bonobos habitats would be destroyed. Also we can help by reducing pollution and using environmentally friendly products. 

       Trying to save bonobos alone can be difficult. If you want to help even more try involving more people to make a group. Together we can do many more things to help such as start a fundraising campaign to save bonobos or to start a petition on saving bonobos.

                                                  

                                                                                 
 Bonobos are amazing creatures and they deserve our protection and attention.
 Every little bit helps bonobos' chances of survival. 





                                                                                   

                                                             Interesting facts

      Bonobos have big appetites and can eat up to 12 pounds of food per day. Bonobos like to eat a wide variety of food including fruits, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms. They also like to eat small mammals such as anomalures, flying squirrels and duikers. Honey is another food that bonobos like to eat.       
     
     Sex is one of the traits that bonobos have that are similar to humans. Baby bonobos take about 8 months to be born from their mothers and spend the first 4-5 years living with mothers.  Female bonobos give birth once every 4-5 years only.  

     Bonobos communicate with each other mainly by talking in their own language. Humans currently do not understand these languages but most humans can understand their facial expressions and some of their hand gestures.

      Bonobos often like to live in groups. Females are always the leaders because they bond together.

Even though males are individually stronger they can't defeat a pack of females. Adult females are somewhat smaller than adult males. They stand at over 3 feet tall and weigh an average of 68 lbs, while adult males measure up to 4 feet tall and weigh an average of 85 lbs. Bonobos do not kill each other!

This is the end of the blog so I hope you have learned more about bonobos and will start saving bonobos.