Save the Bonobos!
Welcome to the forests south of the Congo River! While many species live in these lush forests, a close relative to humans, the Bonobo has been a long-term resident. When you see a bonobo you may think you have just seen a chimpanzee, but while they look quite similar a bonobo is darker, smaller and leaner. However, both the bonobo and the chimpanzee share 98.7% of their DNA with humans making them our closest relatives.
With approximately only 10,000 to 50,000 bonobos left in the world, you may wonder why our closest relative is disappearing so fast and is endangered. The main reason is due to the poaching of these precious mammals and deforestation. The civil unrest and mass poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has hindered these animals survival even more. The true population of these creatures are unknown, but scientists believe that they have been in decline for the past 30 years and will continue to decline for the next half of the century. Due to the ever present threat of human factors and their slow reproductive and growth rates, the bonobo is in serious danger.
The bonobo lives in the Congo Basin, but the extent of their geographic range is unknown. Due to the political unrest of the DRC and the remote nature of the animals little is known about them in comparison to other animals. Currently the World Wildlife Fund and other groups are hiring trackers and primatologists to watch and observe these bonobos. Trackers will go out before the break of dawn everyday and follow these groups of animals and record everything they do and track their GPS location till they begin to make their nests at night and will return to the village and do it all over again the next day. These trackers are vital in learning more about the bonobos and how and where they live. The use of GPS tracking is vital to know where these animals are located and we know where conservationists should be focusing their efforts. The home of the bonobos is so remote, we do not know much about the landscape or habitat. This is where geospatial tools could come in and we could learn more about the land in order to best conserve and help this species.
Bonobos are omnivores and they are both predator and prey. They eat mainly fruit and small invertebrates. They help to spread the seeds of the fruit they eat and their droppings help to fertilize all of the different plants. If these animals were to go extinct it would leave a large hole in the middle of the food chain and the forests would suffer. The surrounding locals would suffer as well, in the warring DCR many villages around and within the Congo Basin are in extreme poverty and eat the bonobos and other animals as a last resort, as well as other predators eat them as well.
Current conservation efforts have been gathering more information about these creatures and their habitat to create an effective plan to saving them. These animals also serve as an important role in promoting ecotourism in this area. People come from all of the world to get a look at these animals and in turn, pay to see the culture of the local villages. This helps to boost the economy and if we strive to save these animals we are not only saving a species from extinction, but we are also helping those locals who desperately need money in order to live a better life.
If you wish to help to save these wonderful creatures, here are five things you can do:
With approximately only 10,000 to 50,000 bonobos left in the world, you may wonder why our closest relative is disappearing so fast and is endangered. The main reason is due to the poaching of these precious mammals and deforestation. The civil unrest and mass poverty in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has hindered these animals survival even more. The true population of these creatures are unknown, but scientists believe that they have been in decline for the past 30 years and will continue to decline for the next half of the century. Due to the ever present threat of human factors and their slow reproductive and growth rates, the bonobo is in serious danger.
The bonobo lives in the Congo Basin, but the extent of their geographic range is unknown. Due to the political unrest of the DRC and the remote nature of the animals little is known about them in comparison to other animals. Currently the World Wildlife Fund and other groups are hiring trackers and primatologists to watch and observe these bonobos. Trackers will go out before the break of dawn everyday and follow these groups of animals and record everything they do and track their GPS location till they begin to make their nests at night and will return to the village and do it all over again the next day. These trackers are vital in learning more about the bonobos and how and where they live. The use of GPS tracking is vital to know where these animals are located and we know where conservationists should be focusing their efforts. The home of the bonobos is so remote, we do not know much about the landscape or habitat. This is where geospatial tools could come in and we could learn more about the land in order to best conserve and help this species.
Bonobos are omnivores and they are both predator and prey. They eat mainly fruit and small invertebrates. They help to spread the seeds of the fruit they eat and their droppings help to fertilize all of the different plants. If these animals were to go extinct it would leave a large hole in the middle of the food chain and the forests would suffer. The surrounding locals would suffer as well, in the warring DCR many villages around and within the Congo Basin are in extreme poverty and eat the bonobos and other animals as a last resort, as well as other predators eat them as well.
Current conservation efforts have been gathering more information about these creatures and their habitat to create an effective plan to saving them. These animals also serve as an important role in promoting ecotourism in this area. People come from all of the world to get a look at these animals and in turn, pay to see the culture of the local villages. This helps to boost the economy and if we strive to save these animals we are not only saving a species from extinction, but we are also helping those locals who desperately need money in order to live a better life.
If you wish to help to save these wonderful creatures, here are five things you can do:
- Buy sustainable wood. Part of the reason these animals are at risk is because of the logging of their habitat.
- Donate to the Bonobo Conservation Initiative, any amount of money helps to buy resources to save these amazing animals.
- Spread the word. The more people who know about the bonobos and their plight the more resources and backing conservationists will receive.
- Sponsor a bonobo
- Volunteer with the Bonobo Conservation Initiative. Email- bci@bonobo.org to learn more.
These are just a few ways you can help out these wonderful creatures and make an impact to help save a species that desperately needs it. If you would like to find more ways to help or learn more please visit: https://www.bonobo.org/.
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