| Latin Name: | Pan paniscus |
| Category: | Mammals |
| Fun Facts: |
- On average the head and body length of a bonobo is two and a half feet. Males are slightly heavier than females with males weighing between 80 and 135 pounds and females weighing between 60 and 85 pounds.
- The only place bonobos are
 found in the wild is the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Though they eat mostly fruit, bonobos will also eat mushrooms, nuts, seeds, worms, caterpillars, honey, eggs, and occasionally, small mammals.
- Bonobos and humans share 98.4% of the same DNA.
- The lifespan of a bonobo is about 40 years.
- Scientists estimate that there are less than 20,000 bonobos in the wild and predict that the bonobo will be the first ape to become extinct.
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| Information: |
Bonobos and chimpanzees are similar in many ways. Both eat fruit as the largest part of their diet. Both spend a lot of time high in the rainforest canopy but come down to the ground to travel and forage. Both are “knuckle walkers,” or walk on all fours, when on the ground, but both will sometimes walk on only their hind legs for short distances. Both use play time when they are young to build up their physical strength and agility and spend lots of time with their mothers to learn about life in the forest. Both have also been seen using tools, such as leaves to sponge up water from trees.
However, there are many ways in which chimpanzees and bonobos are quite different. Chimpanzee groups are led by males and tend to be more competitive and aggressive. Chimpanzees will make war on other groups that try to enter their territory and will sometimes try to take over another group’s territory. In bonobo communities, females rule! Adult females tend to have very strong bonds, and they hold the highest ranking positions. The sons of female leaders are the highest ranking males. Bonobos tend to be very peaceful. They will groom one another, mate and share food to keep things friendly.
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| Habitat: |
Located in the African Forest Region. The African Forest Region immerses guests in the culture and environment of an African rainforest. Attention is also given to the role of field conservation and research on gorillas and bonobos. The bonobos enjoy a large outdoor yard with multiple levels, many trees to climb and a meandering stream complete with waterfall. |