Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are genetically our closest living relatives. They have strong social bonds that are strengthened by sexual behaviour.

Life span
Bonobos live for up to 40 years.

Statistics
Bonobos are 70-90cm in height. Males weigh 39kg and females weigh 33kg.

Physical description
The bonobo is very similar in appearance to the chimpanzee, but it has longer, thinner legs, a more slender frame and a narrower face. Its facial skin and hair are black, and it has a prominent white tail tuft.

Distribution
Bonobos live in a small area of land south of the Congo river.

Habitat
They inhabit lowland rainforest and swamp forest.

Diet
Bonobos mainly feed on fruit, but also consume shoots, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark, pith, herbs, invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Behaviour
They are diurnal, terrestrial and arboreal. Communities number anywhere from 20 to more than 100 individuals. They are less aggressive than chimpanzees, and avoid other troops. Each night, they build a new nest to sleep in. They move quadrapedally and bipedally.

Reproduction
Bonobos have a gestation period of 225 days. They give birth to one young, and very rarely have twins. The young weigh 1.9kg at birth. Bonobos often engage in sexual behaviour, sometimes with members of the same sex. This serves to strengthen social bonds within the troop.

Conservation status
Bonobos are listed as Endangered. There are only about 10,000-15,000 left due to destruction of their habitat and hunting by humans for meat and as pets.