worst threat to bonobo survival is instability in its homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Between 1996 and 2003, war and foreign occupation ravaged the DRC, killing more than 4 million people, more than any conflict since WWII. Today a fragile peace is in place, and the DRC is currently holding its first democratic elections in over 40 years since the colonial era.
Bonobos stand as a flagship, not only for conservation of the Congo rainforest, but also for Peace in the DRC - and globally. Bonobos exemplify how society can be successfully organized through cooperation and sharing of resources, as opposed to competition, territoriality and violence (as demonstrated by our other closest primate relatives, the male-dominated chimpanzees). Further, bonobos show how love - and love-making - can ease tensions and keep the peace.
The recent warfare and decades of corruption under the Mobutu regime before that have hobbled the DRCÃ s efforts to exploit its great wealth for the people of the Congo and have devastated habitat for man and animals. Forests are being depleted as more and more people hunt bushmeat (including the great apes), both for sustenance and for sale in the commercial trade. As competing parties search for peace - and a piece of the pie - the vast ecosystems of the Congo Forest and the prospects for a safe and sustainable future for the Congolese people hang in the balance.
The Congo War was fueled by illegal exploitation of natural resources, such as coltan, gold, diamonds, copper, cobalt, and timber. Thus, a vital key to lasting peace is wise and equitable management of natural resources. To this end, the Bonobo Conservation Initiative, local Congolese partners and communities, the government of the DRC, and other international partners are creating theBonobo Peace Forest - a large, multi-zoned protected area consisting of a linked constellation of community-based reserves, supported by sustainable development, in the heart of the bonobo habitat.
Click here to learn more about the Bonobo Peace Forest.
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