What it takes to return bonobos to the wild

Dear friend,

Bringing a bonobo back to the wild isn’t just a moment. The process begins at the sanctuary and can take years to fruition – and you make it possible!

Here’s what it takes:

1. Years of rehabilitation

Bonobos arrive at Lola ya Bonobo traumatized and completely dependent on human care to survive. At Lola, they heal, rebuild trust, and learn the social and survival skills they’ll need in the forest.

2. A protected forest

We don’t release bonobos into uncertainty. Ekolo ya Bonobo, or “The Land of the Bonobos,” is a vast protected rainforest that provides them a real future in the wild.

3. Careful, staged release

Before the full release, bonobos transition through quarantine on a remote island. Getting them there can mean 500+ miles by truck, plane, and boat. Release is a gradual process that is measured in adaptation, not days.

4. An incredible team

This is no easy task and requires a full set of hands. We have vets, behavioral specialists and researchers who monitor their health and habitat, and forest guards who strive to continue ensuring they are safe after the release.

5. Proof it works

In 2009, we led the world’s first bonobo reintroduction. It was an incredible success that was made even more real when the released bonobos gave birth in the wild! Years later, we had a second successful release and are now ready for the third.

6. Communities at the center

This effort extends beyond the forest. We aim to ensure local communities benefit from the forest and the bonobos' existence so they in turn, help protect this special place and important species.

We cannot do it without you.

By donating today, you’re supporting entire forests, communities, and a future where bonobos live wild. Your donation will help pay for staff, supplies, and transportation needed to carry out this release.

Give today to help return bonobos to where they belong.

Be part of the next release

Your gift can help provide:

$15 helps feed a staff member for a day during the release

$140 helps prepare bonobos for life in the wild

$250 helps equip eco-guards to protect the forest

$300 helps trackers monitor reintroduced bonobos

$500 helps support a forest guard for one month

$1,000 helps provide housing for a forest guard

If you've already given, thank you so much for your support!

Every gift, at any level, brings us closer to the moment when another group of bonobos takes its first steps back into the wild.

Give today, and you can provide bonobos the greatest gift of all: the wild.