Bonobos

Location

Bonobos are found on the continent of Africa in the following countries:

• Democratic Republic of Congo | View map

Habitat:

• Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests

Physical Traits

• A bonobos hair is long and black, parted in the middle of the head
• Bonobos faces are black from birth, with pink lips
• Bonobos have relatively slender builds
• Bonobos hardly have any chin beard

Diets and Activities

• Primarily fruit, but they also consume plant piths, nuts, seeds, and invertebrates
• Travel on the ground during the day and make nests in the trees to sleep

Social Behaviors

• Bonobo communities split into temporary groups which change in size and composition depending on ecological and social conditions; groups can range from 2 to more than 50 individuals
• Females tend to leave their natal communities before reaching sexual maturity
• The bond between mother and son remains strong and lasts into the male's adulthood
• Females play an integrative role in bonobo society and have equal or superior statuses to males
• Bonobos have special sociosexual behaviors which seem to be used primarily as a tension reduction mechanism
• Females give birth to a single infant at five to six year intervals
• Bonobos can live approximately 50 years in captivity

Population

It is estimated that there are 10,000 to 50,000 bonobos in the wild; however, these numbers may be revised dramatically after the next census due to the political instability that has plagued the area. Habitat destruction is the primary threat to the status of bonobos in the wild.

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