Meet Djeka
Gender:
Origin:
Arrival Date:
Age at Arrival:
Surrogate Mama:
Fun Facts:
Male
Boende, Tshuapa Province
August 22, 2020
2 Years
Mama Gladys
Ikela loves to jump on the trampoline!
Small but Mighty...
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kela was rescued by local police from a wildlife trafficker in Boende, the capital of Tshuapa Province. She was cared for by a member of Congolese NGO UALCN (Union of Indigenous People for Nature Conservation) while awaiting transport to Lola.
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She was dangerously weak and malnourished, and, at first, she didn't want to eat. Once on a balanced and nutritious diet, she began putting on weight and grew stronger and healthier each day.
Ikela's Inspiring Growth
With plenty of love from her substitute mama Gladys, she is now a playful and inquisitive little bonobo who loves jumping on the trampoline and exploring the forest. She trusts Gladys wholeheartedly, and her hard-won smiles can melt anyone’s heart. Ikela is gentle and very sociable, and quickly attached to her surrogate mother.
She gets along well with others, especially her best friend Mondombe, and can hold her own among her rougher male bonobo playmates. Mama Gladys says she is "good with friends, but if you provoke her she's going to make trouble!
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We are excited for Ikela's continued growth, and for her to eventually join the adult bonobos before being released to the wild one day.
