Meet the youngest residents of Lola ya Bonobo...
There are 6 orphaned baby bonobos living in the nursery at Lola ya Bonobo. Get to know these beautiful baby bonobos!
Kwango
Kwango was a toddler when he arrived at Lola ya Bonobo in August 2017. A Congolese man bought him at a market in Bandundu. After learning more about bonobos, he voluntarily handed him over to the sanctuary when he was 2 and 1/2 years old. Kwango was malnourished, dehydrated, and had intestinal parasites and severe edemas on his face.

Thanks to the veterinary team at Lola and his surrogate mother Yvonne, Kwango recovered beautifully! Now he is one of the most feisty, lively and curious bonobos in the nursery!

Balangala
In October 2017, ABC staff found a baby bonobo in the village of Balangala. He was dehydrated and had cuts on his sides from being bound with ropes. Balangala was rescued and Veronique, a member of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation, cared for him for 2 weeks before he could be transported to Kinshasa.

Balangala arrived at Lola ya Bonobo in November and was relatively healthy thanks to Veronique’s care, however, he was very timid and had a skin infection. After a 7 week quarantine, daily care from the vets and a lot of love and care from his surrogate mother S'arrive, Balangala joined Kwango in the nursery.

Balangala is feisty and loves to get attention! The more the better!
Ingende
Ingende was rescued by an undercover investigator from local NGO Conserv Congo. After gaining the trust of a wildlife trafficker, the investigator learned the trafficker had a baby bonobo. It took several attempts to finally rescue him.

Ingende was confiscated and brought to Lola ya Bonobo, but his time with the trafficker had really taken a toll on him. He was tiny and in poor shape, but the vets at Lola and his surrogate mom Niclette worked hard to nurse him back to health.

He may have had a rough beginning but is now doing great! Ingende is more shy than the others, but he's playful and likes to wrestle and tumble, too.

The amazing mamas and vets at Lola ya Bonobo can't do this work without your support. Can you chip in to help?
Lolabu
Another victim of illegal wildlife trafficking, Lolabu was hidden away in a warehouse. With the help of law enforcement, Lola ya Bonobo attempted to rescue Lolabu, however, when we arrived, he'd been moved. Local law enforcement would not give up and they finally found and confiscated Lolabu! They immediately brought him to Lola ya Bonobo.

Fortunately, Lolabu's time with the wildlife traffickers was short and he was in relatively good shape. Thanks to the team at Lola and especially his surrogate mom Micheline, he is now doing well!

He's still shy and prefers to stay close to Micheline but will play with the other baby bonobos from her lap.


Esake
 After a bushmeat hunter killed her mother, Esake was on her way to the illegal wildlife market. Fortunately, local authorities apprehended the hunter and confiscated Esake. Héritier Mpo, a member of Bonobo Conservation Initiative, cared for her and transported her to Lola ya Bonobo.

Nearly 2 months in captivity had done significant damage to Esake, and she was suffering from a fever, malnutrition, and parasites. Thanks to the vets at Lola and her surrogate mom Yvonne, she has recovered amazingly well!

Esake was recently welcomed into the nursery! She is small and incredibly gentle, but she's getting used to the rambunctious shenanigans of the others!
Lutula
Friendly and social, Lutula gets along well with everyone but is especially close to Balangala. She keeps herself busy playing with the other baby bonobos and practicing building nests on the ground.

Although outgoing and playful, she is still quite dependent on her surrogate mom Peguy and the staff like to refer to her as a 'Foodmonster," meaning she really loves to eat!

These babies need your help to grow into happy and healthy adults! You can support Kwango, Balangala, Ingende, Lolabu, Lutula, and Esake by donating today!