Bonobo: The Gentle Great Ape

Bonobo is the smallest species of great ape alive today.

Bonobos live only in the Congo Basin of Central Africa.

Bonobos have longer limbs, pinker lips, and darker faces.

Adult females average 33 kilograms and are smaller than males.

Bonobos mostly move on all fours using knuckle-walking.

Wild bonobos walk bipedally less than one percent of the time.

Bonobo society is female-centered and often described as matriarchal.

Female bonobos spend much more time in oestrus than chimpanzees.

Bonobos show kindness, empathy, and surprising patience.

Bonobos mostly eat fruit, making them predominantly frugivorous.

Bonobos live about 40 years in captivity, less in the wild.

The Congo River separated bonobos from chimpanzees nearly 890,000 years ago.

Bonobos have highly varied faces, aiding individual recognition.

Bonobos show both aggressive and peaceful behaviors in the wild.