The Bonobos: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation

Once one of the least studied of the great apes, this new text covers the latest research into these fascinating creatures. Split into two parts, it covers scientific research, which has attempted to answer why bonobos have some unique characteristics such as high social status of females and flexible social relationships. Then, it moves on to conservation. Both the local and global aspects of the factors threatening the wild bonobo population are reviewed.

The Bonobos: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation provides a succinct yet comprehensive review of the current state of research and conservation efforts regarding the bonobos. The bonobos are one of the least known of the great apes although they are one of our closest living relatives, sharing 98.8% of DNA sequences. This text summarizes and analyses scientific research on the bonobos, as well as presents the most up-to-date findings from the field and captive studies. Further, the text presents compelling findings and solid population assessments for estimating wild population density and distribution.

The first section of the book presents research progress in the study of behavior of captive bonobos. These behavioral studies make important strides in our understanding of bonobo social relationships, agonistic dominance, social play, and signaling. The outcomes concerning high social status of females and flexible and complicated social communication may shed light on the study of evolution of both bonobos and humans.

The second section deals with ecological studies that have been carried out since the post- conflict resumption of field research in Democratic Republic of Congo. Methodologies that have been improved over recent years in the study of the other great apes have now been applied to the study of bonobos, which enables comprehensive comparison for understanding hominids'’ adaptation to the African tropical forest. Furthermore, differing and newly -developed census methods have been employed to reveal the current status of bonobos in Africa’s largest forested protected area, the Salonga National Park.

The text's final section centers on the most urgent conservation priorities and reviews local and global aspects of the factors threatening the wild bonobo population. The role of humans in the future of bonobo conservation is examined. Further, the first ever large-scale and small-scale regional surveys are presented, as well as how the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos can respond to offer estimatesthe consequences of population density and distribution through reliable quantitative data. These studies provide compelling results and a solid population assessment.the live animal trade. Encouraging reports detail the presence and abundance of bonobos existing across their historic range. These contributions not only illuminate the current status of the bonobobonobos but allow for critically designing the next steps for the continuation of their future.

About the Editors:

Dr. Takeshi Furuichi is Professor in the Faculty of International Studies of Meiji-Gakuin University, Japan. He has carried out ecological and behavioral studies of bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas all across Africa for more than 20 years, in order to reveal the evolutionary process of hominids.

Dr. Jo Thompson is the Director of the Lukuru Wildlife Research Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has maintained her field work for more than 16 years focused on bonobo ecology and conservation in alliance with the local people.