The bonobo, also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan; the other being the common chimpanzee. Although bonobos are not a subspecies of chimpanzee, but rather a distinct species in their own right, both species are sometimes referred to collectively using the generalized term chimpanzees, or chimps. Taxonomically, the members of the chimpanzee/bonobo subtribe Panina are collectively termed panins.
The Lulonga is a river in the Equateur province of Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is about 200 km long from its beginning at the town of Basankusu. There the Lopori and the Maringa join to form the Lulonga. The Lulonga river flows into the Congo River at the town Lulonga.
Salonga National Park is a national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo located in the Congo River basin. It is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve covering about 36,000 km2 or 3,600,000 hectares. It extends into the provinces of Mai Ndombe, Equateur, Kasaï and Sankuru.
Basankusu is a town in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Basankusu Territory. In 2004, it had an estimated population of 23,764. It has a gravel airstrip, covered and open markets, a hospital, and three cellphone networks, the first of which was installed in 2006. The town is also known as a centre for bonobo conservation efforts. Despite such developments, most inhabitants live at a subsistence level: hunting, fishing, keeping chickens and keeping a vegetable plot. In 2010, the workers at the local palm plantation would earn an average monthly salary of $40, most others would have much less.
The Luo Scientific Reserve is a protected area situated in the Ikela territory of Tshuapa province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve covers 225.59 km2.
Wamba is a town in Haut-Uele province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the administrative center of Wamba territory.
The Bonobo Conservation Initiative is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that promotes conservation of the bonobo and its habitat in the tropical forests of the Congo Basin.
The Lopori river is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Lopori, and the Maringa River to the south, join near Basankusu to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Lopori / Maringa basin is called the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba forest Landscape, an area of great ecological importance.
The Maringa river is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Maringa, and the Lopori River to the north, join near Basankusu to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Maringa / Lopori basin contains the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape, an area of great ecological importance. The Ngando people live in the Maringa River area north of Ikela.
The Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape (MLW) is an ecologically sensitive landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the Maringa / Lopori basin. Since 1973 a Japanese team has been researching the bonobo population near the village of Wamba, and the Luo Scientific Reserve was established in 1990. However, research was discontinued after political disorder started in 1991 followed by civil war in 1997, resuming only in the mid-2000s.
The Ngando people are Bantu subsistence farmers who live in eastern part of Équateur and the western part of Orientale province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is the leading international conservation organization focused exclusively on Africa's wildlife and wild lands.
The Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is a non-profit initiative to promote the conservation and responsible management of the Congo Basin's tropical forests. The project aims to improve the techniques and information sharing of involved organizations. It is led by the United States and sponsored by more than 40 international governments and investors.
Kokolopori is a community of 25-35 villages in Djolu territory of Tshuapa province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kokolopori is an indigenous Congolese community, formerly known as pygmy, which manages a 1,200 square miles (3,100 km2) forest reserve, in the heart of the central African rainforest. The sister city partnership is a program of the international not-for-profit Bonobo Conservation Initiative. These villages are located along the road that borders the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, a reserve officially registered in 2009 for bonobos. Bonobos are one of the three species of great ape which live in the Democratic Republic of Congo - the others being, chimpanzee and gorilla.
The Bolombo River is a river in Équateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Bolombo is a tributary of the Lopori River. The Lopori River joins with the Maringa River to the south, to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Bolombo flows through the Lopori / Maringa basin, also known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba forest Landscape, an area of great ecological importance.
The Yekokora River is a river in Équateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Yekokora is a tributary of the Lopori River. The Lopori River joins with the Maringa River to the south, to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Yekokora flows through the Lopori / Maringa basin, also known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba forest Landscape, an area of great ecological importance.
The Lomako River is a river in Équateur province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Lomako is a tributary of the Maringa River. The Maringa River joins with the Lopori River to the north, to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Lomako flows through the Lopori / Maringa basin, also known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba forest Landscape, an area of great ecological importance.
Takayoshi Kano is a Japanese primatologist, known for his pioneering work on the bonobo chimpanzee. He highlighted their peaceful communal lifestyle, and the high frequency of sexual interactions. A student of Junichiro Itani, he was a professor at Ryukyu University and at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University. In 1973, he founded the first bonobo study center, at Wamba, Luo Reserve. It is the oldest bonobo research area and has survived a number of political upheavals in the region.
DR Congo 