Rescue and Care
The World’s Only Bonobo Sanctuary
At Lola ya Bonobo, we rescue orphaned bonobos from the illegal trade in wildlife, nurse them back to health, and care for them as long as needed, sometimes for the rest of their lives.
Orphaned baby bonobos enjoy a safe and healthy home at Lola ya Bonobo (“Bonobo Paradise”),. Here they learn how to live like bonobos again. Many of them may be released back into the wild!
Since 2002, the sanctuary in the DR Congo has rescued and cared for hundreds of bonobos. About 70 bonobos of all ages now live in densely forested enclosures on the 75-acre site.
Healing Wounds
Specially trained teams work with Congolese wildlife authorities to organize rescues of orphaned bonobos. Without Lola, there would be no place for these innocent victims to go for care and healing.
Baby bonobos usually arrive malnourished and in pretty bad shape. They often have intestinal parasites and illnesses and they even come with broken arms and bullet wounds. Our dedicated veterinarians have an amazing record of saving baby bonobos and nursing them back to health!
Healing Hearts
At Lola ya Bonobo, we recognize that psychological care is just as important as physical care.
Bonobos who arrive at Lola are almost always the victims of poaching. They have been traumatized by the slaughter of their mother and often their entire family group. They endured captivity, often in terrible conditions. They survived a stressful trip by motorbike, airplane, and automobile to reach safety at Lola ya Bonobo.
To help baby bonobos overcome their trauma, each one is paired with a human surrogate mother. In the wild, bonobo moms carry their babies constantly for 4 to 5 years!
Human surrogate mothers are trained to provide the love and care baby bonobos need to live. Every day the “Mamas” feed, bathe, carry, and play with their growing bonobos. They help them create social bonds with the other bonobos. A mother’s love is the key to survival for these rescued bonobos!
Visit the Sanctuary
In addition to providing lifetime care for rescued bonobos, our sanctuary is an exciting educational destination for local schoolchildren, families, and international tourists. Overnight stays are available, too, with special behind-the-scenes experiences!
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.
