Bonobos are humanity's closest relatives alongside chimpanzees, yet remain far less known. Their welfare faces threats from habitat destruction and bushmeat hunting in their sole habitat in the DRC.
Bonobo welfare is inseparable from the extraordinary political and security challenges of their sole habitat in the DRC. Conservation and welfare programs operate in a conflict-affected region where funding, security, and government support are all uncertain. Individual bonobo welfare concerns include bushmeat hunting that orphans infants whose mothers are killed, and the trauma of captivity as bushmeat trade byproducts. Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary provides rehabilitation with the goal of eventual release — a welfare-positive program that also conducts vital behavioral research. Sanctuary bonobos demonstrate the species remarkable social sophistication including empathy, sharing, and conflict resolution through social bonding that illuminates both bonobo welfare needs and their evolutionary relationship to humans.