Where does the bonobo live?
The bonobo exists only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an area of about 500,000 km² in the Congo Basin. It is found only south of the Congo River and north of the Kasai River, in the humid forests. It frequents primary and secondary forest, including seasonally flooded swamp forest.
What does the bonobo eat?
The bonobo is mostly a fruit-eater, whereas the common chimpanzee is often highly omnivorous and sometimes hunts small monkeys or antelope. It lives in groups. Its social life differs from the chimpanzee's: it uses sex as a way to settle conflicts within the group. It is the smallest of the great apes. It has a black face with pink lips, small ears and long hair parted down the middle.
Is the bonobo endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Endangered. It lives in only one region of the world, the Congo Basin. Its name comes from a distortion of the town of Bolobo, on the banks of the Congo River, where the first specimens were captured in the 1920s. In captivity it typically lives 40 years.
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