Meet Omandja
Gender:
Male
Origin:
Sankuru, Province
Arrival Date:
May 6, 2020
Age at Arrival:
2.5 Years
Surrogate Mama:
Mama Micheline
Fun Facts:
He has a rare chestnut brown color, is very playful and loves to jump on the trampoline!
COVID Baby Rescue
Although many jobs took a pause at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, rescuing bonobos was not one of them. In fact, it got more intense! Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary had more rescues in 2020 than in the previous 6 years combined. Orphaned babies desperately needed our help. Baby Omandja was the second bonobo rescued during the pandemic, and we’re so happy to have him in our Lola family.
Fighting to Get to Lola Ya Bonobo
In May of 2020, Omandja was found in Sankuru in very poor shape. He had swollen eyes, swollen cheeks, and sores all over his body. Despite his condition, resilient little Omandja survived weeks waiting for a flight and then the arduous journey to the airport, on the plane, and to the sanctuary. Dr. Jonas, our head veterinarian, left the sanctuary in full protective gear to wait for him at the airport. When Omandja arrived, the two quickly returned to Lola ya Bonobo, where strict quarantine protocols were in place.
Although he was dehydrated and malnourished, we could tell Omandja was a fighter from the day he arrived. He immediately regained a healthy
appetite, which is always a good sign that a baby bonobo will survive. At Lola, Omandja was paired with Mama Micheline, and the two bonded right away. Before long, Omandja was cleared from his quarantine period, and was able to meet all his new friends in the nursery.
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Happy Mama’s Boy
Since his arrival, Omandja has evolved a lot in the nursery group. He’s very social, and loves jumping on the trampoline with his bonobo buddies. He’s still very close with his substitute mama, and gets very jealous when the other bonobos try to play with her!
He loves games, and has easily charmed all of the mamas in the nursery with his smiley disposition. Omandja is easy to pick out of the group because his fur is a remarkable chestnut brown color, much lighter than the darker coloring of the other bonobos.
In November 2021, Omandja and four of his friends (Lolabu, Diyoko, Tshimbulu and Mpongo) graduated from the nursery and joined the bonobos in Enclosure 2. Now that Omandja is one of the older juveniles, we are excited to see how he will develop!
At Lola ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we have a team of caregivers for rescued bonobos. To support their work and join our mission to save lives and rainforest, please Donate here.
Find out more about Omandja on our social media!
Kendra is a creative problem-solver who excels in leading end-to-end project delivery with a focus on clear goals and timely execution. She provides support to FOB’s development and communications teams and serves as assistant to the Executive Director. Originally from Panamá, Kendra is an avid traveler. She is proud to support bonobo conservation not only for the well-being of bonobos but also because it helps protect our planet.
Njango has worked in climate action and environment conservation for four years. She supports FOB through donor communications, data analysis, research, and outreach. Njango has been a fan of wildlife conservation since her visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy as a young girl, where she saw the beauty of elephants, and how their home was threatened because of human interference. She strongly believes that the only way to achieve true utopia is to live in harmony with animals.
Amanda makes connections with FOB’s major donors. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for her entire career and found her passion for animal rights and conservation as a volunteer fundraiser for a local dog rescue. She finds that FOB coalesces multiple causes – environmental, animal rights, and community engagement. While protecting bonobos first drew her to FOB, she’s learned how we, as humans, are connected to the environment and to the bonobos that we strive to protect.
Kathleen Cook brings more than eight years of experience working across Africa, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she has traveled over twenty times to support projects spanning conservation, clean energy, and community development. Her career has centered around using storytelling, strategic marketing, and relationship-building to create meaningful impact.
