A Trip to Tour Lola Ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo - The Only Bonobo Sanctuary on Earth.
Travel Attractions and activities in Lola Ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo located just a few minutes drive west of Kinshasa, just beyond the city's sprawl, exists Lola Bonobo Sanctuary, an excellent project that provides a home for orphaned bonobos. Long thought to be chimpanzees, bonobos are a separate species known for being much more peaceful than their cousins. They're also endangered, with only around 50,000 surviving in the wild. Trails here lead around the large, forested enclosures, but the playful bonobos often hang out right at the front, especially in the morning.
Lola ya Bonobo is the only bonobo sanctuary in the world and the only place where you can meet bonobos -- your closest living relatives in the animal kingdom -- face to face in a semi-wild environment.
A tour to Lola ya Bonobo is an unforgettable experience that will open your eyes and heart to the majesty of DR Congo! Imagine sitting quietly watching the bonobos emerge from the forest or seeing playful young bonobos swinging through the trees just a few feet away.
At Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, orphaned bonobos are rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Bonobos are nursed back to health and cared for as long as needed, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Bonobos who are able are released back into the wild.
Also known as the pygmy chimpanzees, Bonobos was the last of the great apes to be discovered and live exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are considered to be man's closest relatives and organize themselves in sophisticated social groups. They are highly endangered from hunting and loss of habitat. Expansion of logging into remaining areas of intact forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo will destroy globally critical carbon reserves and impact biodiversity.
Founded by Claudine Andre in 1994 Lola ya Bonobo is the only sanctuary in the world catering to the lifetime care of our closest primate relatives - we share 98.7% of our DNA with them. Translating to 'paradise for bonobos' the refuge is home to over 52 bonobos who live in 30 hectares of primary forest. They are on the front line in the battle to protect these highly endangered primates in the only country they are the Democratic Republic of Congo. No one is sure how many are left in the wild but the number could be as few as 5,000 individuals.
Facts about Bonobos:
1. They are our closest living relatives. We are more closely related to bonobos (and chimpanzees) than we are to any other animal on earth. We share 98.7% of our DNA with bonobos – this means they are more closely related to us than they are to gorillas.
2. Females are in charge. The main reason that bonobos are so peaceful is that they are matriarchal, which is unusual in the animal kingdom. The females work together to manage aggression in males.
3. They’re peaceful and avoid conflict. Bonobos have evolved to avoid fighting, about anything. When the potential for conflict arises, chimpanzees experience a rise in testosterone, which is related to competitiveness, while bonobos experience a rise in cortisol, which is related to stress. This stress response leads bonobos to seek social reassurance.
Over evolutionary time, bonobos have become much less aggressive than their ape relatives, including humans. There is no known case of a bonobo killing another bonobo. We cannot say the same thing about humans or chimpanzees!
4. They’re good samaritans. Research shows that bonobos feel empathy not only towards those they know but also those they don’t. When presented with the choice to share food, they preferred to share with strangers.
5. Bonobos, both male and female, are known for their frequent use of socio-sexual contact to relieve tension and form bonds with one another.
Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary is renowned for its work to rescue and protect endangered bonobos, but they do so much more, including rainforest protection, bonobo releases back to the wild, bonobo conservation in the wild, local education and awareness, and community development around wild bonobos.
About Claudine Andre, the Founder:
In the mid-1980s, Claudine André was volunteering at the Kinshasa Zoo when a man brought in a sick baby bonobo. The zoo director warned her not to pour her heart into the little bonobo. Keeping bonobos was extremely difficult, and sick ones had not been known to survive. Yet, Claudine resolved to find a way to save the bonobo. She named him Mikeno.
With close attention and mothering, she was able to successfully rehabilitate the baby. The secret she had uncovered was that in addition to medical care and proper nutrition, baby bonobos need love and affection to survive. Word began to spread throughout the area and soon, people from all over were bringing orphaned baby bonobos to Claudine.
This led her to found Amis des Bonobos du Congo (ABC) in 1994 and soon after, she created the sanctuary, Lola ya Bonobo. “Lola ya Bonobo” means Bonobo Paradise in Lingala, one of the national languages of the DR Congo. She and her team, now led by her daughter, Fanny Minesi, have been rescuing and rehabilitating bonobos ever since.
Challenges to Saving Bonobos:
There were, and continue to be, severe challenges to saving bonobos. Bonobos are only found in one place in the entire world – the Democratic Republic of Congo – a country that has experienced war and political instability throughout much of its history. Widespread poverty is a main driver of poaching and the bushmeat trade that both threaten bonobos.
In addition, everything takes a lot of time due to limited infrastructure in the remote rainforests which makes navigation and access to electricity difficult.
Efforts taken to save Bonobos:
The association works with local law enforcement agencies and other conservation NGOs to locate and rescue bonobos needing assistance. The Lola ya Bonobo refuge looks after them and, when they are ready, releases them into Ekolo ya Bonobo. This 120,000-hectare protected zone with tropical rainforest is managed and protected in partnership with local communities. To help the local population, it also works with volunteers to provide medical supplies and school materials.
Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo makes education and awareness-raising a priority. Each year, thousands of Congolese adults and children visit the refuge and take part in programs to learn more about bonobos. Since the initiative was launched, local communities have had an increasingly positive attitude to these animals and their protection.
Book and Arrange with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Tour of Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary in DR Congo.
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