Bonobos are front and center in the July 30th edition of The New Yorker magazine, as correspondent Ian Parker delves into the brief history of bonobo research and questions whether bonobos are truly the “peace-loving, matriarchal, and sexually liberated” apes they are purported to be. There is no doubt that bonobos possess unique and fascinating qualities about which we need to know more—however, to do that, we must protect them in their natural habitat. That is BCI’s mission—and bonobos need help now! Please support our work in the field.

Smithsonian magazine features Bonobos!
Smithsonian magazine's November cover story, In Search of the Wild Bonobo, features an expedition to Kokolopori, where the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) and local partners are establishing a new community-based reserve to protect bonobos. This remote rainforest haven is one of the only places where free-living bonobos are protected and where they can be seen regularly.

Werrason, Congo's most popular musician partners with BCI to protect bonobos and save the rainforest [Learn more]

“But it is in the Democratic Republic of Congo that the music truly matters. For five years, a vile war has raged in Congo, costing between 3.1m and 4.7m lives. The country is ruined and divided, its state a figment. Yet if Congo is more broken than Iraq or Afghanistan, it is a better place for a party. “Music is keeping the nation alive,” says Noel Ngiama, aka Werrason, one of the country's four big stars. “In Congo, almost everyone can dance or sing.” - Economist.com, Rumba in the jungle, Dec 18th 2003”

Musical mega-stars get down with the apes
Rock stars Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel have been making
music with the bonobos, Kanzi and Panbanisha,
along with Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh at the Georgia State Language
Research Center. Paul McCartney featured his gig with the
bonobos in his special which aired on Thanksgiving Eve, prime time on ABC! Peter Gabriel also highlights bonobos in his new tour, "Growing up."
We hope this is just the beginning of more magnificent things
to come.

In a recent communication, Peter Gabriel said:
"Working with Bonobos was an extraordinary experience
for me. It confirmed that there is very little difference
between the potential mental and intellectual capacity of
the Bonobos and ourselves. We forget, most of the time, that
humans are Great Apes. I strongly support any measures to
save the Bonobos from extinction."