Although bonobos are our closest living relative, we still know very little about them. What we do know is that there aren’t many of them left – as few as 10,000 left in the wild, making them the world’s most endangered ape. Bonobos only live in one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has seen the bloodiest war since World War II.
For over 15 years, Claudine André has fought for the conservation and welfare of bonobos in Congo. She established Lola ya Bonobo, the world’s only bonobo sanctuary with over 60 orphans from the bushmeat trade, but more than anyone else in the world, Claudine has worked tirelessly to convince everyone from Congolese hunters to politicians that bonobos are a national treasure worth protecting.
How can anyone not want to help these beautiful animals?
Bonobo Handshake is an amazing book that follows a young woman (Vanessa Woods) who follows her fiance to Congo to study these rare apes. Check out http://www.bonobohandshake.com/
A big thank you to Vanessa Woods for the permission to use the above images.
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