Bonobo(P

PygmyyChim
mp)
Ra
ange:north
hernandce
entralDemoocraticRepublicofCon
ngoinAfricca
Habitat:rai
H
inforest

nobosorrpygmyychimpss?
Bon
Bono
obosareme
embersoftthegreatap
pefamily,aalongwithggorillas,oraangutans,
andcchimpanzee
es.Earliersscientiststh
houghtthebbonoboPannpaniscuswasjusta
smallerversionofthecom
mmonchimp
panzeePanntroglodyteesandsoth
heterm
dontbefoooled!Bonob
bosandchimpsare
pygmychimpanzeewasused.Butd
erentyou
ujustneedttoknowwhhattolookfor.
reallyyquitediffe

Bon
nobosve
ersuschimpanze
ees
Size
Chimpsaandbonobo
osareaboutthesamesize,butbo
onobosareemore
slend
derandhavvesmallerh
headsandssmallerearss.
Food
dChimpanzeeseatp
plantmaterrialaswellaasmonkeyssandotherrmammals
when
ntheyhave
ethechance.Bonobosseatleavess,stems,fru
uits,worms,insects,

andsometimessmallfish.
LocationBonobosarefoundonlyinasmallpartofonecountryinAfrica,the
DemocraticRepublicofCongo(formerlyZaire).Thefoursubspeciesofcommon
chimpsrangefromwesterntocentralAfrica.
GettingAlongWhentroublecomesbetweencommonchimps,theyoftenfight
itout.Theyarealsoveryprotectiveoftheirterritoryandwillkillchimpsfrom
anothergroup,calledatroop,iftheytrytomovein.Bonobosdontseemtohave
establishedterritories,andtheytendtohandleanysquabblesortensionbyusing
differentsexualbehaviorsinsteadofaggression. LooksBonoboscanwalk
uprightmoreeasilythancommonchimpscan.Theyalsokeeptheirwhiterump
patchforlife,whilethepatchdarkenswithageinchimps.Andbonoboshavehair
ontheirheadthatpartsrightdownthemiddle!

Ladiesrule!
Inbonobosociety,thefemalestakechargeandkeeplifelongbondswiththeir
sons.Whenadaughterisoldenough,shemustleavethetroopandfindanother
onetojoin.Shewillbreedwithallthemalesinthenewgroup,andshegains
permanentmembershipwhenshegivesbirth.Adultfemalesformstrongbonds
witheachother.Thefemaleledtroopstendtoberelativelypeaceful,and
bonobosseemtobesensitivetoeachothersneeds.

Bab
bybonob
bos
Infan
ntsareborn
nalmosthe
elplessandm
mustbecarriedeverywherebytheir
moth
hersforthe
efirsttwoyyears.Ayou
ungsterstayysclosetoiitsmotherfforseveral
yearsswhileitgrrowsandle
earnshowtobeapartofbonobo
osociety.Bo
onobosusee
touchtogivere
eassuranceandcomforrttoeachoother.Theyformclosee
relationshipswiithothermembersofthetroop,eevenafterttheyaregrown.
oughbonob
boscanreachtheirsexxualmaturiityat6to88yearsofagge,the
Altho
femaalesdontusuallyhave
etheirfirstbabyuntilttheyareab
bout13yearsold.

Playytime
nceandtesst
Playingisaparttofgrowinggup,asthe
eyoungbonnobosgainindependen
nsteachoth
her.Theyoungstersplaysomeoffthesameggamesyou
theirrskillsagain
migh
htplay,such
hasKingofftheMounttain,whereeonechimp
pparadesaroundon
topo
ofahillorrockwhiletheotherstrytopullhimorherd
down,andB
Blindmans
Blufff,whereyou
ungbonobo
oscoverthe
eireyeswitththeirhan
ndsandrun
naround
chasingeachother!

Foo
odforall
Canyyouimaginelivinginaanallyoucaaneatsaladdbar?Wheenitcomesstofinding
food,bonobosh
haveitpretttyeasyinttheirrainfooresthome.Theyaren
nimble
bersandcanswingfro
omtreetottreesearchiingfortastyyfruit.Bonobosforage
climb
forfo
oodduringthedayinssmallgroup
ps,oftenshharingthefo
oodtheyveefound,
thengathertoggetherinlarrgergroupstobuildthheirsleepinggnests.Theeseclever
ms,gatherhoneywithssticks,crackkopennutss
apesfishforterrmiteswithgrassstem
d
withrocks,andspongewaateroutofttreetrunkswithleavess.Bonobosalsospend
orearthwo
ormstosnacckonaraainforestcaandytothem!
hourrshuntingfo
Atth
heSanDiegoZooandttheSanDiegoZoosW
WildAnimalPark,wefeeedthe
bono
obosavarie
etyoffruitsandveggie
es:bananass,apples,orranges,grapes,turnipss,
carro
ots,yams,spinach,and
dbroccoli,aaswellasleeafyclippin
ngsfromficus,
hone
eysuckle,hibiscus,and
dsugarcane
e,andleafeeaterbiscuitts.Fortreats,theygett
popccorn,nuts,aandseeds.

orthebirds!
Nesstsarentjustfo
Bono
obosuseleaavesandtw
wigstobuild
dsturdynestsinthefo
orksoftreeeseach
even
ning.Byallssleepingintthesameareatheycaanhelpeach
hotherlookoutfor
predatorssuchasleopardssandsnake
es.Theycannalsokeeptrackofeaachother.
behavioram
mongthe
Adultbonobosssometimesshareanest,whichissauniqueb
greattapes.

hosthessmartesstofthem
mall?
Wh
Some
escientistsbelievethaatbonobos arethemoostintelligeentoftheprimates
(othe
erthanhum
mans,ofcou
urse!).Mayybethatsbbecause,genetically,bonobosaree

consideredourclosestlivin
ngrelativess.Theysharremanyofourhuman
nbehaviors,,
ngsocialskkills,usingtooolstogetfood,andw
working
such asteachinggtheiryoun
egoodofth
heentiretro
oop.Scienttistshavetaaughtafew
wbonobos,
togettherforthe
houssedinlabs,howtocom
mmunicate withhumaansbyusinggsymbolsth
hat
repre
esentwordsonaboarrd.Theycan
nunderstanndspokenw
wordsandreplyto
quesstionsoraskkforthingsbypointinggtosymbools.Bonobossevenlaugghwhen
theyareticklinggeachothe
erorplayinggtogether,andtheydootherthingsthat
uofsomep
peopleyouknow!
mayremindyou

nobosin
ntrouble
e
Bon

Sadlyy,thereare
efewbonob
bosleftinthewildanddsotheyarreconsidereedthemosst
endaangeredoftthegreatap
pes.Human
nscontinueetomovein
ntobonobo
ohabitat,
hunttingtheseamazingape
esforfoodandsellingtheirbabieesintothep
pettrade.
Commerciallogggingoperattionscreate
enewroadstoharvessttimber,giivingpeoplee
eraccessto
ohuntorcapturemanyyrainforesstspecies.TTherearealsofew
easie
bono
obosinzooss.TheSanD
DiegoZooaandtheWildAnimalParkhavesu
uccessfully
bredandmaintainedthese
eintelligenttandcuriouusapessincce1960,an
ndwe
continuetofundconservattioneffortssforthemincentralAfrica.

ormationretrievedfrom
mhttp://ww
ww.sandiego
ozoo.org/animalbytes/t
Photosandinfo
bono
obo.html

(gottotheSanD
DiegoZoow
websiteformoreinforrmation/acttivitiesonttheBonobo
o)