Bonobos are humankind's closest relatives, along with chimpanzees, yet most people don't even know that bonobos exist! They live only in one country: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Bonobos were last great ape species to be discovered, and could be the first to go extinct if we do not act quickly to save them and their rainforest home. Bonobos stand apart from the other great apes in fascinating and important ways.

The Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI), based in Washington, D.C. and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is dedicated to ensuring the survival of the bonobo (Pan paniscus) and its tropical forest habitat in the Congo Basin. By working with indigenous Congolese people through cooperative conservation and community development programs, as well as on the national and international levels, BCI is establishing new protected areas and leading efforts to safeguard bonobos wherever they are found.