Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are classified as Endangered with a population of approximately 10,000-50,000. Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary near Kinshasa cares for orphaned bonobos from the bushmeat trade and is pioneering reintroduction science.
Orphaned bonobo infants require 24-hour maternal substitute care for years — their developmental trajectory mirrors that of human children in needing continuous attachment and stimulation. Grief responses in newly arrived bonobo infants at Lola ya Bonobo include persistent crying, food refusal, and rocking stereotypies that resolve over weeks of intensive care. Social rehabilitation into bonobo peer groups must be gradual: rushed integration causes aggression and regression. Reintroduced bonobos face the welfare challenge of learning wild foraging in an environment they have never known, requiring extensive post-release monitoring and supplemental feeding in early months.