WORKING TO SAFEGUARD THE BONOBO APE
WE ARE A GLOBAL HUB FOR FRONT LINE CONSERVATION OF THE BONOBO GREAT APE.
The Bonobo Trust is a nonprofit initiative connecting global audiences to front line science, conservation, and protection of the world’s least-known great ape - the BONOBO.
We connect you to the most inspiring, urgent, and science-based bonobo projects around the world, helping you lend support precisely where it’s needed most.
Why Bonobos?
They are role models.
Bonobos share 98.7% of their DNA with humans, but in many ways their humanity surpasses our own. Bonobos live in matriarchal social groups based on peaceful cooperation. They are egalitarian, patient, and generous to strangers. Bonobos maintain strong bonds through physical affection and conflicts are solved through intimacy.
They are climate heroes.
There could be as few as 5,000 bonobos remaining in the wild, but the Max Planck Institute has revealed up to 45% of plants and 60% of some tree species within the Congo Basin were “planted” by a bonobo, scattering seeds as it eats. As a vital lung of the planet, the Congo Basin is too critical to our climate future to lose bonobos.
They are little known.
Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are well-known. But few people are familiar with the bonobo. Consequently, bonobos are the great ape with the least support from donors and public enthusiasts. The Bonobo Trust aims to increase public awareness of bonobos so they are as well-known and supported as their primate cousins.
Ready to make a difference?
We have curated a number of ways almost anyone can make a meaningful contribution to saving the bonobo.