It’s often thought that bonobos hunt other mammals, like monkeys, because their chimpanzee cousins do, but bonobo apes have only ever been observed grooming and playing with them. Do bonobos eat meat?īonobos can eat meat, such as bats, flying squirrels, or small antelopes, but it’s very rare. They gather most of their food from trees but usually climb down to the ground to eat and share it. What do bonobos eat?īonobos primarily eat fruit and vegetation but will supplement their diet with invertebrates like caterpillars and earthworms. Female bonobos are at the top of their social hierarchy, whereas males are dominant among chimpanzees and all other great apes. In terms of behavior, however, bonobos and chimpanzees are significantly different. Their biggest physical differences include the bonobo’s more slender body, longer legs, and rounder head. The area receives around 2,000 millimeters of rainfall per year with an average maximum temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius.īonobo primates are very close cousins to the chimpanzee and look almost indistinguishable to the untrained eye. These lowland rainforests support a diverse range of vegetation with swamp forests in the north and semi-evergreen rainforests and grasslands in the south. There are roughly 156,211 square kilometers of suitable bonobo habitat in the region, within which four bonobo strongholds have been identified. Where do bonobos live?īonobo apes are only found in one place on the planet: the lowland rainforests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as the Congo Basin. These threats are especially dangerous because bonobos live in such a small region and reproduce very slowly. Their survival is threatened by poaching, civil unrest, habitat loss, and disease. There is too little data to accurately estimate their population size, but their numbers are likely declining. Are bonobos endangered?īonobos are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and have been since 1996. This name was written on a crate carrying a bonobo to Germany in the 20th century, and scientists later advocated for the name, assuming that it was how local communities referred to the species. The origins of the name ‘bonobo’ are unknown, but there is one theory that it could be a misspelling of the Congolese town of Bolobo. They are part of the Hominidae family, which also includes chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and human beings. The scientific name for bonobos is Pan paniscus. Bonobos’ plant-based diet also reduces competition between vegetation and helps more sunlight reach the forest floor, supporting the 1,500 to 2,000 plant species that grow in the swamp and evergreen rainforests of the Congo Basin. Because they feed on fruit and vegetation, they distribute seeds and nutrients around the forest. Importantly, bonobo apes play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem within their rainforest habitat. While fathers generally don’t participate in child-rearing, they do remain within the group and provide food and protection for all of its members. Males might stay with their mothers their entire lives, while females find a troop of their own when they reach maturity.

Mothers look after their offspring until they’re around four years old. One fascinating and unique behavior recorded in bonobos happens during birth: other females have been known to gather around the pregnant bonobo and assist in the birth, similar to human midwives. Females bear one infant every five years or so with a gestation period of around eight months. As far as scientists can tell, sex plays an integral role in peacekeeping and coexistence within bonobo society.ĭespite this, reproduction rates in bonobos are similar to that of chimpanzees and other great apes. This behavior has been observed between many different bonobo pairings, including same-sex pairings, and even between juveniles and adults. Bonobos are known to trade sexual acts for food or favors, using sex to both solve conflicts and deepen their relationships with each other. The most well-known facts about bonobo apes are connected to their sexual practices. These groups are led by older females who typically get the first helpings of food and decide when and where the group travels. They live in fission-fusion societies, which means larger groups split up to forage before rejoining later that day. Now, scientists believe that the two diverged paths over 1.7 million years ago.ĭespite their genetic similarities to chimpanzees, bonobos display differing behaviors and societal habits. They were considered to be a subspecies of chimpanzees until 1933, when they were officially recognized as a separate species. The bonobo, also known as the pygmy chimpanzee, is part of the great ape family and was the last member to be discovered.

Pygmy chimpanzee