Lola Ya Bonobo

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 31 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Some peeps wanted to know if Lomela and Kataco are still friends. Here they are with their arms around each other walking to the nursery.

They’re a bit blurry because actually they’re running. It’s a bit of a debacle every morning to get them from the night building to the nursery. Here is Esperance trying to get them under control.

But it’s all fun and games once they get in. Here is Esperance again playing helicopter with Eleke.

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 30 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

We went out on the boat today. Manono was swimming in the water. Richard Wrangham from Harvard thinks that bipedalism (standing on two legs) evolved in an environment similar to the Okavanga delta in Botswana where for some parts of the year it was dry, but for the rest of the year it was wet and you had to walk through shallow pools to get to islands where the food was.

Manono is looking for food just like in Richard’s hypothesis. Except he is fishing bananas out of the water that Stany the keeper through in, which is not part of Richard’s hypothesis.
Here is Semendwa being bipedal.

4 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 29 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

‘Hey Vanessa, I just read the newsletter and there was a big section about reintroduction plans. From what I read it doesn’t sound like the local people in the area chosen are happy about this plan at all. They don’t really seem to understand nor care about conservation of endangered species. So, please explain to me the importance of putting sanctuary-raised bonobos into a potentially disastrous situation (for bonobos and humans)? I understand that they’d live more naturally in the wild, but the wild is full of PEOPLE.’

Hey slb,

I assume you’re talking about the Friends of Bonobos newsletter? It’s true that the initial release site was where they hunted bonobos and also the local people wanted a lot more money than was reasonable, but the site near Basankusu has th efull support of the Po community who have agreed to be bonobo guardians.

There will always be danger for bonobos who are released, and probably half of the released bonobos will die. But here is why it is important.

Lola is the only bonobo sanctuary in the world and wild populations are decreasing. Bonobos are also the only ape who have never been released into the wild. What you don’t want is for nearly all the bonobos to be gone, and the only bonobos left to be at Lola ya Bonobo and then say, ‘oh darn it, I guess we’d better figure out how to release bonobos.’ Because then  you only have one shot. Lola is reaching capacity, more orphans are coming in. We need to get it right, learn from our mistakes, so that when the time finally comes, we know how to successfully release bonobos into the wild.

4 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 29 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Bandundu is our naked ape. She loves being groomed, like some women love the feeling of getting waxed. The girls have obligingly pulled out nearly all her hair! She just had a new baby who is also almost bald - Bandundu reminds me of an australopithecine (is that how you spell it?) . Maybe this is what our ancestors looked like, carryign thier babies and walking through swamps.

4 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 27 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

I got this question from Karenhappywoman, and its a very good one:

Hi, What a beautiful blog! I hope you don’t mind me having a little question regarding bonobo’s. In your blog as well as in many commentaries about bonobos we see that they are very peaceful and friendly beings. My husband told me that he read an article in which researchers said they have found that many bonobos have missing fingers that were bitten of by other bonobos during fights. Have you noticed any of this and could this mean that not all of their conflicts are resolved by having sex? Thank you very much in advance!

There is violence in bonobo society. A few years ago, five females ganged up on a male called Tatanga and beat the crap out of him, almost ripping his testicles off. the difference between bonobos and chimps is that this violence in chimps is a lot more frequent, and also, violence in chimps can end up with someone dead, whereas no one has ever seen bonobos kill each other.

Kanzi, the really famous bonobo, bit two of Sue Savage Rumbagh’s fingers off. Jane Goodall is missing a thumb. Two very good reasons why bonobos and chimps should be illegal as pets!

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 25 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

This pic if for sheer cuteness factor. It’s Masisi who some of you have adopted iwth Mistique, the resident guard dog. what is even more cute about this is that normally the bonobos terrorise Mistique. Mwanda was always chasing her, and Boyoma, of course used to bite her tail. Mistique was always very patient, and she has two puppies of her own now. but when Masisi saw her, she ran up to her and cuddled her like she was a big fluffy toy. Masisi even put her fingers in Mistique’s mouth and chewed on her ear. It was totally adorable, all the mamas were very excited.

7 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 23 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Lukuru is looking better today. You can see she’s put some fat on her tummy, and her arms are filling out. She’s drinking milk like a little demon so no worries there, and her favourite food is sugar cane.

Crispin the vet is still not clearing her complete – she’s so young – only 20 months – one of the youngest bonobos we’ve ever gotten at the sanctuary. She’s hardly ever off Mama Henriette, but she definitely holds her own. If one of the other nursery bonobos tries to steal her food, she sinks her little teeth into their hands.

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 21 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

I actually went into the nursery today. I was wondering whether Kataco remembered me, after all those weeks I spent with her last year. You always wonder whether animals remember, like people do. Or whether she was too young. Or whether we all look the same to them.

Ordinarily Kata is a bit shy around people. She loves the mamas, but she’s terrified of new people she doesn’t know.

As soon as I walked in, she crept up to me, scrunching up her little face – the mamas call her ‘matoke’ which means ‘she who scrunches up her face’ – and put her face very close to mine and touched my hair.

‘She remembers you,’ said Mama Henriette.

And I felt so honoured. She climbed on my lap, gave me a little kiss, climbed down and held my hand. I love Kata. I don’t care that she throws tantrums. That little wrinkly face just makes me want to hug her to death

6 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 19 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Saké is definantly a straight-A student in the nursery. Thats why the Mamas at Lola ya Bonobo call her ‘Mayele’, which means ‘the intelligent one’.

She certaintly lives up to her reputation: she is the fastest when it comes to solving Tori’s tests; what would take her class mates a lot of brain power is a piece of cake to her.

At the moment her favourite game is to undo buttons. And once she’s finished opening up your pockets she’ll gently grab your hands and place them on top the button so that you can button up and she can start all over again.

Not only is Saké smart, she is also very affectionate. If she can find some water she’ll splash it all over you and start scrubbing your arms in the same way she gets scrubbed by the Mamas in the morning.

And the best thing of all is that her favourite place to sit is right on top of your head!

5 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 17 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Guess who ran up to our house this morning? Lolo! She had just finished having a bath and smelled like coconut oil. She escaped the mamas walking her to the forest, ran to our porch and started sniffing around as if to say, ‘what do you guys eat for breakfast around here?’ Mama Micheline gave her the warning ‘Lomela!’ read ‘you’re in trouble’. So she jumped into my arms. My goodness she is heavier than the little stick insect of last year. It’s like she quintupled in size.

Excuse my spastic looking face, I was just felt so sly and cunning to have caught her for a quick cuddle before breakfast. I can hardly ever take a photo where she’s not stuffing food in her mouth.

Then I did. Just look at that tummy.

9 responses so far