Bonobos are humanity's closest relatives alongside chimpanzees and are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, facing welfare pressures from bushmeat hunting and habitat loss.
Bushmeat hunting kills adult bonobos and orphans infants who are sometimes kept as pets or brought to sanctuaries. Forest degradation and fragmentation reduces the contiguous habitat bonobos need. Political instability in DRC limits conservation enforcement effectiveness. Sanctuary bonobos require long-term intensive care before reintroduction.