World Bonabo Day

World Bonabo Day

World Bonobo Day was started in 2017 to raise awareness about bonobos while aiding in the conservation of this remarkable species.Bonobos and chimpanzees look very similar and both share 98.7% of their DNA with humans—making the two species our closest living relatives.

Bonobo, (Pan paniscus), also called pygmy chimpanzee, ape that was regarded as a subspecies of the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) until 1933, when it was first classified separately. The bonobo is found only in lowland rainforests along the south bank of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Closely resembling the chimpanzee in both physical appearance and mode of life, the bonobo is more slender, with longer limbs, a narrower chest, and a rounder head with a less-protruding face. Bonobos are not much smaller than chimpanzees: males weigh about 39 kg and females about 31 kg, but both are the same height, standing 115 cm tall when erect.

Bonobos feed mainly in trees and descend to the ground to move to other trees. They eat mostly fruits (which they often share with one another) and other vegetation, such as herbs and roots. In some places, food is washed in streams. The diet is supplemented by invertebrates such as caterpillars and earthworms. In rare instances, they have been observed eating bats, flying squirrels, and even young duikers (small antelopes). Unlike chimpanzees, bonobos do not hunt monkeys but instead play with and groom them.

Bonobos are active during the day and move on all fours by knuckle walking. They make beds from leafy branches, but, in the wild, tool use is mostly limited to leaf umbrellas and branch dragging during intimidation displays.

– Source: Internet –