Bonobos, our closest relatives along with chimpanzees, face extinction from deforestation and bushmeat hunting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Individual bonobos killed for bushmeat or orphaned by hunting experience the same traumatic suffering as chimpanzees. Their highly social nature makes isolation particularly damaging. Bonobo orphanages like Lola ya Bonobo provide critical welfare support for rescued animals, but prevention through forest protection and bushmeat law enforcement remains the priority.