2024 Year-End Letter
Dear Friends,
You read the headlines. You’re concerned about political upheaval, social injustice, and global conflict. You know the terrifying statistics about accelerating deforestation, species loss, and climate change. You may be wondering—Can I make a difference? Does my donation even matter? Does it even make sense to care about bonobos right now, given the state of the world?
The answer to all of the above is a resounding YES.
Bonobos and humans share 98.7% of the same DNA. Along with chimpanzees, they are our closest living relatives. Not only is their past our past—their future is our future.
OUR SISTER SPECIES
Jaune cradles her baby Jade, who just turned one in August! Photo © Lillian Fornof
Bonobos live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the heart of the world’s second largest rainforest. The Congo rainforest now surpasses the Amazon in sequestering carbon. Protecting this forest is vital to combating climate change. By preserving bonobos’ habitat, we are helping to ensure a healthier future for all life on Earth.
The hard truth is that humanity’s greatest threat is…ourselves. Human conflict and overconsumption imperil countless species, including endangered bonobos.
We can choose to make a change. We can look to the bonobos’ cooperative, peaceful society. Bonobos—a longtime symbol of hope in the DRC—can serve as an inspiration for humanity’s way forward.
Thanks to your support over the past 26 years, we have worked with local Congolese communities to create the Bonobo Peace Forest—which now spans nine million acres. And it’s still growing! Thanks to you, two million additional acres are poised for protection. You have helped provide education, income, and livelihood opportunities for Peace Forest residents. You have made it possible to train and equip our fi eld teams, the frontline protectors of bonobos and the rainforest.
Every dollar you donate has a real, immediate impact on bonobos and their rainforest home.
URGENT NEED: STOP POACHERS NOW
Tracker presence is the biggest deterrent to poachers. Photo © Gwenn Dubourthoumieu
We have made significant progress, but the need remains urgent. Poaching poses the greatest threat to bonobos, and sadly not even our reserves are immune. This year, we have lost members of the Bekako bonobo group to poachers in Kokolopori.
We are working with our local partners to launch an immediate response. We need your help to redouble our efforts to protect bonobos and prevent poachers from striking again. Together, we can:
Increase tracker presence in the field, the biggest deterrent to poachers
Expand our awareness campaign within the bonobo habitat
Provide more economic alternatives to poaching
We must turn this tragedy into a call to action. It is a reminder both of what is possible when we work together and what is at stake if we don’t.
THE ROAD AHEAD
We need bonobos—and bonobos need us! We have many projects in the works to keep the Bonobo Peace Forest going strong in 2025, including:
Promoting sustainable agriculture is a top priority throughout the Bonobo Peace Forest. Photo © Gwenn Dubourthoumieu
Partnership with Wild Forests and Fauna to conduct biodiversity assessments, set camera traps, and foster community conservation engagement
Participation in the collaborative Bonobo Diversity Program with an eye toward establishing new long-term research sites
Completion of the Lilungu conservation center
Installation of water purification systems in the Kokolopori health clinic and at other key sites
Initiation of agricultural pilot programs in Sankuru
Continued development of sustainable funding through the UN REDD+ program, including a robust benefi t-sharing plan with local communities
The path to a brighter future starts now! Show your support by donating today. Thank you for all you do to help save our amazing sister species!
With deepest gratitude,
Sally Jewell Coxe
President
P.S. I was honored to participate in this year’s TEDx Asheville event! Please share my talk “An Ape as an Avatar: How Bonobos Can Lead Us to a Better World” with family and friends. Let’s get the word out about bonobos!
