Lola ya Bonobo

[1] Originally founded by Claudine André in 1994, since 2002 the sanctuary has been located just south of the suburb of Kimwenza at the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya, Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The bushmeat trade in the Congo area sees hundreds of endangered bonobos killed each year for meat.

Once they have matured sufficiently, they leave the care of substitute human mothers,[2] and are integrated into one of the large, mixed-age social groups.

They can forage among dozens of edible plants and fruiting trees, compete for mating opportunities, and learn to avoid dangers such as stepping on venomous snakes just as they would in the wild.

It is the only protected area that is co-managed by a DRC-based nonprofit, Les Amis Des Bonobos du Congo, in partnership with local communities; Ilonga Poo, Baenga, and Lisafa.

[8] Before being rewilded, bonobos are quarantined to prevent introduction of illness to wild populations, and provided ample time to acclimate to the freedom of the rainforest.

[11] A third-party study found improvement in children's attitudes toward bonobos and wildlife conservation after the launch of this initiative.

[13] As a result of these awareness programs, educated Congolese will often alert the staff when bonobos are captured and held locally in cages or are being sold in markets.