Bonobos are humanity's closest relative alongside chimpanzees, yet they are Endangered and confined to a single country where their welfare is threatened by bushmeat hunting and habitat loss.
Bonobo welfare is deeply compromised by their exclusive dependence on DRC's forests, which are simultaneously under severe hunting and deforestation pressure in an unstable political environment. Bonobos orphaned from the bushmeat trade experience the same profound psychological trauma as chimpanzee orphans — maternal bond disruption at sensitive developmental periods causes lasting behavioral abnormalities. Lola ya Bonobo provides care that acknowledges bonobos' complex social and emotional needs, including integration into surrogate social groups. The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC creates areas where conservation enforcement is impossible and bushmeat hunting is unchecked. International support for DRC conservation organizations is critical given the concentration of the entire species in one country.