Bononos in Congo Africa – Rwanda safaris
Like chimpanzees and Gorillas, Bonobos are also one of humankind’s closest living relatives. There are the rarest primates in the world but in Africa, they can be found in Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire. Bonabos are intelligence, emotional expression, and sensitivity; amazingly, these primates are capable of using tools like sticks, stones and so on during their daily routine work.
They live in the heart of the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest on earth. They inhabit approximately 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles) of tropical forest south of the Congo River and north of the Kasai River, where the average rainfall is between 63 and 80 inches per year.
They are also nick named “the makers of Love, Not War primates due to their creative and abundant sexual activity. Bonobos share more than 98% of DNA with human beings. Bonobos are also the most vocal of the great apes, using complicated patterns of vocalizations to communicate detailed information.
Unfortunately, Bonobos are among the most endangered, classified by the IUCN Red List as facing possible extinction. We must act now to protect our primate cousins before it’s too late. We have much to learn about them, and they have much to teach us about ourselves. It should be noted that, Democratic Republic of Congo is among the instable nations in central Africa yet they only found here, therefore, much should be done to bring back peace in the country so as to protect the rare Bonobos.
Bonobos mostly feed on fruit but they also eat vegetation and occasionally supplement their diet with insects, larvae, earthworms, eggs, and even small mammals. Bonobos form communities of up to 100 members but some times split into small groups when searching for food during the day and come back together to sleep at night. Bonobos are the most vocal of the great apes. Their vocal communication is complex, frequent and often accompanied by hand gestures. Vocal communication plays an important role in bonobo society. Bonobos communicate where to find their favorite food using calls and squeals and can provide specific details about food quality and preference using a combination of vocal sequences. The voice of a bonobo is melodic and high pitched, in contrast to the deeper and more guttural vocalizations of a chimpanzee.
Differences between bonobos and chimpanzees:
-All Bonobos posses pink lips and black faces but some chimps have brown and clear faces.
-Bonobos have black hair that parts down the center of their heads, covering part of their ears compared to chimpanzees.
-Bonobos have smaller head and ears, a flatter face and a less prominent brow ridge than chimpanzees.
-Bonobos can stand on their two feet easily and often than chimpanzees
-Adult female bonobos stand at over 3 feet tall and weigh an average of 68 lbs., while adult males measure up to 4 feet tall and weigh an average of 85 lbs.
For more information about Bonobo safaris, contact African Jungle Adventures on www.rwandagorillasafaris.com, Email: info@rwandagorillasafaris.com
