Lola Ya Bonobo

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 27 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

The group is so thrilled about the new birth - Look at little Lomela on the far left - can you all believe she’s so big??And that’s Mbano, Etumbe’s son, on her right.

Here is a letter from Suzy, our Congolese student in the field:

Everything is going well in the forest with the bonobos. On the 18th of July, it was a historic day for the world of conservation. the stars rose for the first time, as Ekolo ya Bonobo (land of the bonobos) was graced with the handsome baby of Etumbe.

At 4:30pm, the keepers at the enclosure signaled that Etumbe was having contractions! At 5pm, Etumbe didn’t want to eat. Her son, Mbano, was in the trees, behaving very excitedly. The other bonobos were strangely calm. We all suspected the baby was coming when Mbano turned around in circles without stopping and crying out in excitement.

On the morning of July 19, the females were all gathered around Etumbe and we suspected the happy moment had arrived. Moments later, Etumbe arrive, with her newborn in her arms. What a joy to discover this baby delivered only a month after the release!

It’s a beautiful baby. He is covered in thick, black hair, brilliant shining eyes and is plainly in good health. OUr best and warmest congratualtions to Etumbe, who has given birth to the first released baby bonobo from Lola!!
- Suzy

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 24 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Dear all,
We have the pleasure to tell you that the first baby is born at Ekolo ya bonobo!!!!
A little female.
Etumbe give us this double present: Mbano, first baby born at Lola ya bonobo and now this little female that we momed “NSOMI YA EKOLO” (the first born at Ekolo)
Remember the story of Etumbe….coming from INRB.
Thank’s to her for this happiness !
And by the way, … thank’s again to Hans Wasmoeth …(for the transfert of Etumbe at Lola in 2003)
Love to all.
Claudine.

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 23 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Our sponsors at bonobos.com have just launched a new campaign for Lola! It’s called Save the Bonobos and they are donating $5 from shorts (Nanners), pants (Congos) and shirt (the green one!).

We love bonobo pants!

One response so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 21 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Thanks for helping me figure it out!!!

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 20 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

i have some more videos but as you can see i’ ironing out the glitches. the video with nick isn’t exactly centered or anything but i think you guys can play it, right?

One response so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 20 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

One response so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 17 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Being technologically challenged, i am still trying ot wor out how to upload a video to wordpress -anyoen got any ideas? Florent, Lola’s videographer worked very hard on a movie that i want to show you all but i can’t upload the )(*&* thing!! Will work on it some more - but int he meantime, here he is interviewing Claudine for the movie…

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 16 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Marie Laure is our head vet now, and here she is having a quiet moment under our brand new sign! It reads ‘Ekolo ya Bonobo’ which is Lingala for ‘place of the bonobos’. Marie Laure’s dad was a doctor in Congo 20 years ago, and Claudine was always calling him to help with the bonobos. Now his daughter is the head vet at Lola - nice cosmic energy about that, isn’t there?

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 15 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

Etumbe is pregnant ! isn’t that wonderful news – hopefully this baby will be the first release birth ever!!! I don’t want to get my hopes up but it would just be too wonderful. The measure of success for any release program is if the released individuals reproduce… i know this is cheating a bit coz etumbe was already pregnant when she was release but i hope all the other bonobos get the same idea that having a baby in the forest is such an awesome idea. I hope it catches on like wildfire.

Etumbe is taking her pregnant role seriously. Every night the bonobos sleep in the forest and they make nests, like beds from branches of the trees. Well etumbe has kicked out her 4 year old boy, Mbano from her nest and told him to go make his own nest since mom’s nest will soon have a newborn

Mbano’s first attempts at nest building were hilarious – he only pulled 5 sticks togheter. But after a few nights, he’s now a pro, building lovely fluffy nests out of the trees.

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 14 2009 | By: lolayabonobo

In all the release excitement, I forgot to say, our friends at bonobos.com have made a new pair of men’s swimmers (that’s what we call them in Australia - do Americans call them trunks or bathers or what?) they were designed specially for Lomela well actually for all the bonobos at Lola but I bet Lomela would like them most - they are the ‘Nanners, after Lomela’s favorite food! I bet she is sad they are for boys. But maybe Max could wear them and Lomela could stare at them all day

Check it out!

It’s part of their Save Sex Save Bonobos campaign (go to their homepage and you’ll see Sake clinging to Brian’s pants on the bottom right).

Anyway, $5 from every pair of ‘Nanners goes to the bonobos! I bought one for Brian and he LOVES them. Go buy, people…

http://www.bonobos.com/store/item/Nanners 

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