Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden®

Home of the world famous hippo Fiona. Family friendly Zoo committed to inspiring visitors with wildlife and saving species.

Bonobo Conservation

Adult bonobos Masisi & Mwandai collecting fruit provisions thrown from boat twice daily. 2019

Bonobos are endangered, and likely to move to “critically endangered” soon. Sharing more than 98% of its DNA with humans, the bonobo is our closest living relative, along with chimpanzees. Bonobos are under increasing threat due to habitat loss and the illegal bushmeat trade. As few as 10,000 are left in the wild.

Fortunately, conservationists in DR Congo are working hard to protect bonobos and their rainforest home. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden supports the comprehensive bonobo conservation work of Friends of Bonobos. Friends of Bonobos operates the world’s only bonobo sanctuary, Lola ya Bonobo, to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned bonobos, and release bonobos to the wild in a 120,000-acre protected reserve. The organization also provides conservation education and community development programs in communities surrounding the bonobo habitat.

You Can Help

Lola Ya Bonobo isn’t the only one who can help save bonobos… You can too! While donating money to organizations on the front line, like Lola Ya Bonobo, is the most direct way to get involved in conservation, there are several other things you can do to be active participants in conservation.  

♥  Recycle old cell phones!  

  • Coltan is a mineral mined in bonobo habitat and is found in every single cell phone. By recycling your old cell phones here at the zoo, you can lower the demand for new coltan mining and help save bonobo habitats.  

♥ Buy local products!  

  • Buying local products reduces the amount of long-distance shipping needed which can lower your carbon footprint and have global impacts on climate change.  

♥ Be aware of the social media content you interact with! 

  • Primates are not pets! Content on social media that depicts primates as pets, wearing clothes, or in other unnatural situations can have detrimental impacts on primates in the wild. Interacting with this content (liking, watching, sharing, etc.) increases the demand for unethical practices and the illegal pet trade. Even some influencers and organizations that market themselves as being conservation-focused can post problematic content so make sure you do your research before supporting them!  

♥ Visit the zoo!  

  • By coming to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, your ticket is helping support conservation initiatives around the world, including bonobo conservation at Lola Ya Bonobo.  
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