Bonobo blog
Photo © Phoenix Lester, Kokolopori Bonobo Research ProjectWelcome!
We are excited to share a peek into the daily life of bonobos, report on research into their behavior and social dynamics, and provide updates on our community conservation work. Through this blog, we aim to illustrate how science, local partners, and practical field action combine to help bonobos and people thrive together.
Searching for the Unknown Ape
Had he ventured a further 4 kilometers into the forest from the trails north of Yetee village, Kano would have been walking underneath the trees in what is now the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve – the forest where our stories and scientific findings have been birthed.
The Birth of Maira & Her Path to Independence
We arrived at the nest site at 5:30 AM, dark silhouettes of the bonobos nests dotted about the canopy beginning to stir as the day took its first grip on the night. The blur of two juveniles chased each other from nest to nest, whilst the adults woke through a more languid awakening.
A Hunt for Gliding Prey
We were following Ekalakala, one of the four habituated groups at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A young male, named Emeraude, raised his head from his Bolingo