Bonobos, humanity's closest relatives alongside chimpanzees, face severe population pressures in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their unique social structure and welfare needs deserve attention.
Wild bonobo welfare is inseparable from their conservation crisis. Bonobos killed for bushmeat leave orphans that face death without intervention - infant bonobos require their mothers for nursing and social development for years. The sanctuary system caring for these orphans provides welfare but cannot fully replace wild social development. Bonobos in captivity elsewhere in the world face the same challenges as chimpanzees - social isolation, spatial restriction, and the suppression of their complex behavioral repertoire. The welfare of this extraordinary species, our closest relative alongside chimpanzees, deserves both immediate sanctuary support and long-term habitat and hunting pressure reduction.