The son of Panbanisha, Nyota was born at the Language Research Center in 1998. The name, Nyota, which means "star" was selected by a staff member who is from the Congo. Panbanisha approved this name for her child by vocalizing loudly when she heard the staff member speaking aloud the name Nyota.

Now a precocious youngster, Nyota is instrumental to current research as Great Ape Trust researchers investigate the cross-generational effects of language and culture in a second-generation bonobo reared in a bi-cultural environment.

Nyota is housed with his mother, Panbanisha, and his little brother, Nathan. Nyota enjoys playing with his little brother and often helps out by carrying Nathan under his mother's watchful eye. Nyota’s favorite food is blueberries. Recently he has shown interest in learning stone tool knapping, fire making, and painting.

Nyota's lexigram utterances have always been unusual and distinct. Most recently, a common expression of his is "QUIET THINK" which we translate into "Let's have some quiet time together." When Nyota is not being quiet and thinking, he is very active and enjoys practicing his many and creative combinations of jumping techniques. Nathan and Elikya marvel at Nyota's ability to perform these jumps which have creative loops and rotations as he flies across the play yard.