Meet Lombo
An Orphan Bonobo’s Long Journey to Lola
Lombo, like many other orphaned bonobos rescued by Lola ya Bonobo, was confiscated by authorities in the Sankuru region – a hotspot for wildlife trafficking and poaching for bushmeat. Lombo traveled for over 9 days on the motorcycle of the environmental inspector who came to collect him from the remote forest village where he had been spotted.
Once in the safe hands of the authorities, Lombo was paired with Lenda, a female bonobo who was rescued around the same time as Lombo. Together their journey to Lola began, both young victims of the illegal wildlife trade now facing the aftermath and trauma of losing their families.
When Dr. Jonas arrived to carry out the rescue mission, both Lombo and Lenda were in bad shape. Lombo looked to be about 2 years old and was full of parasites. He had a severe cold and wounds on his hips from a rope that poachers used to tie him up.
Lombo cuddled close to his new family and to Dr. Jonas throughout the rescue journey as they made their long way to the safety of Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary.
Step by Step
Lombo arrived to Lola with some health issues, was underweight, and dealing with trauma. With care and love from Dr. Jonas and Mama Peguy, Lombo’s body and heart on the road to recovery. Lombo was quick to attach to his new surrogate mama, Peguy. His confidence grew and he became more curious about his quarantine enclosure – never venturing far from his mama!
Lombo had visual signs of trauma. From the wounds he endured from his captors, to the spooked look in his young eyes, it was clear that Lombo has endured more than any living creature should – all at the hands of humans. Happily, Lombo shows signs of resilience. He looks at Peguy with trusting eyes and is adjusting to his new life step-by-step. With continued healing, before long he will be able to graduate from the nursery and join the older bonobos in a semi-wild forested enclosure!
Kendra is a creative problem-solver who provides executive and operational support across the organization. As Executive Assistant to Ariel Rogers, she manages scheduling, communications, and day-to-day priorities while also supporting the development and communications teams with administrative and operational needs.
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.
