DRC Sanctuary Shelters Endangered Bonobos

Micheline Nzonzi cares for orphaned bonobos at Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The sanctuary is the only one in the world dedicated exclusively to bonobos, a great ape found nowhere else.

Many infants arrive traumatized after poachers kill their mothers for the illegal bushmeat trade. Nzonzi and other caregivers provide constant physical affection, crucial for the bonobos’ emotional and physical survival.

Bonobo populations have declined from roughly 100,000 in the 1980s to about 20,000 today. Their slow reproductive rate—one baby every four to five years—complicates recovery efforts. Though primate meat is illegal in Kinshasa due to disease risks, the bushmeat trade continues.

Lola ya Bonobo rehabilitates bonobos with the goal of eventual reintroduction to the wild, and also focuses on community education. Francois Sandrin of the Wildlife Conservation Society suggests adapting regulated hunting models from other regions to address the broader wildlife crisis in the DRC. The work to secure a future for these apes continues.