Bonobos in Europe

ShonenJake13

ShonenJake13

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
So following the awesome response time of my chimpanzees in the UK thread, I thought I'd start this thread with the hope of any updates being added here? At the current time of writing there are 10 zoos in Europe that house bonobos, 118 as of end February 2016. The groups are as follows:

GERMANY

Berlin Zoological Garden = 3.5 (Santi Limbuko Kivu, Yala Opala Likemba Leki Batia)

Cologne Zoo = 1.4 (Kindu, Bonnie Binti Bikita Bina)

Frankfurt Zoo = 6.11 (Ludwig Heri Nyota Bili Panisco Sambo, Margrit Natalie Kamiti Zomi Kutu Mixi Bashira Omanga Pangi Tikala Visola)

Leipzig Zoo = 5.5 (Joey Jasongo Kuno Kasai II Yaro, Yasa Lexi Luiza Gemena Fimi)

Wilhelma Zoo = 5.11.1 (Mobikisi Kasai Lubao Bobali Makasi II, Kombote Hermien Chipita Chimba Liboso Haiba Banbo Nayembi Huenda Nila ?, ?)

Wuppertal Zoo = 4.4 (Mato Birogu Azibo Ayubu, Kichele Eja Muhdeblu Akeena)

BELGIUM

Planckendael Zoo = 4.5 (Vifijo Louisoko Lucuma Habari, Lina Djanoa Busira Lingoye Nayoki)

FRANCE

La Vallée des Singes = 9.11 (Bondo Kirembo Diwani David Kelele Luebo Loto Moko Lokoro, Daniela Lisala Ukela Ulindi Khaya Lingala Lucy Nakala Khalessi Yuli Swahili)

NETHERLANDS

Apenheul Primate Park = 4.8 (Bolombo Zamba Makasi Kikongo, Hortense Jill Zuani Kumbuka Besede Yahimba Monyama Ayebi)

ENGLAND

Twycross Zoo = 5.7 (Kakowet Keke Winton Mokonzi Ndeko, Diatou Banya Cheka Maringa Kianga Malaika Lopori)


Any updates, questions or discussions are welcome!! :)
 
And I guess the first port of call is the two question marks at Wilhelma in Stuttgart! Banbo has had a little girl and Liboso has had a yet to be sexed baby both born in February. It has yet to be determined who the father of either baby is, Mobikisi (who so far has fathered no babies in Stuttgart, but is the father of Nayembi, Liboso's adult daughter) or Kasai (father of Lubao, Bobali, Nila and Makasi II)
 
It seems that their number increased from 86 individual animals in 2008, to 118 in 2016, that's great news and achievement! Where did you find this number? Is there was maybe some import from Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary in DR Congo?
 
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And does the potential founder male bonobo, owned by circus Rech in France, was already included in the EEP population? I hope so it was.
 
I would say that, it is better, (for such prised species) they do not be pretty concentrated at one place, like in La Vallée des Singes (France) (20 bonobos), Wilhelma zoo (17) and Frankfurt zoo (17), because eventual disaster may have devastating influence (like entire lost of genetic lines of particular founders) (disaster like terorism, or whatever, hope that will never happen), - but instead, they to be separated in another zoo.

What do you think?
 
In regards to your questions, the 118 is from simple maths; I was told that in 2014 there were 114 and kept up from there; last year four died and six were born, and this year two have already been born so there are now 118.

As for this founder animal in France, I haven't heard anything about them and my contact hasn't mentioned it, so I would assume it to be false.

And the concentration thing really isn't a problem. In the wild bonobos live in large fission-fusion societies so groups of this size are normal. As well as this, the bonobo population does not need to be controlled as much in regards to contraception unlike the chimpanzee as there are no subspecies. One thing that zoos do to keep sons (who must remain in the group with their mother or become the lowest ranked individual of another group) in their natal groups is to split them up during the day. So Nyota and Heri in Frankfurt, Kasai in Stuttgart, Kindu in Cologne, Louisoko and Lucuma in Belgium, Kivu in Berlin, Keke in England, Zamba in the Netherlands and David, Diwani, Kelele, Luebo and Bondo in France live with their biological/adoptive mothers in the group, but those that have breeding history/mothers who are still able to breed are separated for most of the time from them, and occasionally are put back in with them.
It's also important to remember that there are other places in the world that keep bonobos (8 zoos and 1 research institute in the USA, 1 sanctuary in the DRC and 1 research institute in Japan) so there really isn't much of a chance of losing 'founding lines'. And anyways, 16 of the current population in Europe are either wild or USA-born, and all bar one have had at least one offspring. Some of these 16's offspring have now themselves had children so there really isn't much of a chance of that happening.
 
Ok actually following some research there is a bonobo mentioned that was living in circus Rech in the 70s. I would assume that following the regulations introduced about animals kept in circuses in Western Europe this male has gone somewhere (either to the sanctuary in the DRC or potentially somewhere in America) and or he has died. There are no recent mentions anyhow.
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Ok actually following some research there is a bonobo mentioned that was living in circus Rech in the 70s. I would assume that following the regulations introduced about animals kept in circuses in Western Europe this male has gone somewhere (either to the sanctuary in the DRC or potentially somewhere in America) and or he has died. There are no recent mentions anyhow.
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Thank to the answers.
Just for the bonobo in circus, I read that on EAZA Great ape yearbook from 2008, so they stated that there is a male bonobo in the circus in France, in 2008.
 
the bonobo is still in the circus, they tried to get him to La Vallee des Singes, but the owners couldn't give up their "infant".

I think that there will be soon one or two more holders, now that the animals are breeding so well.
 
Once I sent email to Lola Ya sanctuary in DR Congo, asking them, the Miss I don't remember her name, she was founder,

Asking them whether they eventualy will sent some bonobos for increasing the genetic diversity in captive population in Europe, USA, but they don't responded to the email (they don't took me seriously, but that logically, :p because I am just zoo animal lover and nothing else for know...

But they should sent some, or more bonobos to Europe, USA for zoos. I think the future for wild animals in wilderness it is not bright at all.
 
persimon said:
the bonobo is still in the circus, they tried to get him to La Vallee des Singes, but the owners couldn't give up their "infant".

I think that there will be soon one or two more holders, now that the animals are breeding so well.
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Ah what a shame about that. I hope he's sent there soon, it would be good to have another male. They should send him to Cologne, the only male there is Kindu (son of Bonnie, who is also in the group) and he has never fathered a single infant.

Nikola Chavkosk said:
Once I sent email to Lola Ya sanctuary in DR Congo, asking them, the Miss I don't remember her name, she was founder,

Asking them whether they eventualy will sent some bonobos for increasing the genetic diversity in captive population in Europe, USA, but they don't responded to the email (they don't took me seriously, but that logically, :p because I am just zoo animal lover and nothing else for know...

But they should sent some, or more bonobos to Europe, USA for zoos. I think the future for wild animals in wilderness it is not bright at all.
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Lola ya Bonobo is a sanctuary that rescues bonobos from bushmeat/other things. Considering how the EEP are just now starting to phase out the wild-born individuals (now down to 10 out of 118) this really would not be ethically correct to do. It would get a lot of criticism and quite frankly I hope Lola ya Bonobo don't do it. Just because the future for the bonobo isn't bright doesn't mean that they should send orphaned apes that have already seen a lot of stress into captivity away from the DRC.
 
Lola ya Bonobo is a sanctuary that rescues bonobos from bushmeat/other things. Considering how the EEP are just now starting to phase out the wild-born individuals (now down to 10 out of 118) this really would not be ethically correct to do. It would get a lot of criticism and quite frankly I hope Lola ya Bonobo don't do it. Just because the future for the bonobo isn't bright doesn't mean that they should send orphaned apes that have already seen a lot of stress into captivity away from the DRC.[/QUOTE]


But in the name of ex situ conservation and increasing the genetic diversity of captive populaiton. The will have nice life in modern zoos. After all, if such imports did not happened, nowadays we would not have zoos... or zoo animals.
 
Yes, but on the flip side of that coin I sincerely doubt that Lola ya Bonobo will transfer any of their animals due to the source of their bonobos.
If the bonobos there could be cared for better in European zoos than in the sanctuary then I would agree with you. But as is they live in semi-captive conditions; fenced areas of wild rainforest, where the only human contact is for food and medication. The bonobos there have such an amazing opportunity, and not a single bonobo enclosure in Europe or America (despite how good they are) could live up to that.
If it gets to the point where it is necessary, then yes I wouldn't mind if a couple of (not as prone to stress) bonobos were transferred to Europe or the USA. But as is the SSP and EEP have just basically reached all-captive born bonobos, and the gene pool is still large enough. So not necessary in my opinion.
 
New update: bonobo Kianga at Twycross has had a baby. Unknown gender as of right now, father is either Keke or Kakowet.

This means the group there is now 5.7.1
 
Kianga's baby has been announced as a male, meaning Twycross' group is now 6.7

Still no news on Liboso's baby, but they may want to wait a month before they announce it (though they don't usually do that?)
 
Is it the recommendation of the EEP for such large groups? as opposed to more holders and smaller groups?
 
A nice overveiw! Thanks for making it.

I can't find any information about Lokoro at La vallée des singes. Is it a youngster and who is the mother? I can't find Clyde from Koln in the list. Is he dead? I can't find that either on the internet.
 
zoofanbelgium said:
A nice overveiw! Thanks for making it.

I can't find any information about Lokoro at La vallée des singes. Is it a youngster and who is the mother? I can't find Clyde from Koln in the list. Is he dead? I can't find that either on the internet.
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Hello hello! No problem, I'm glad so many people are enjoying this thread :)

Lokoro is a male, born to Ulindi (female, born to Natalie and Bono in Frankfurt in 1993 who came to the zoo from Leipzig together with her son Loto, born in 2009, in 2013) in May 2015, thereby being the first male born in that year and the fifth in the group. He, like Lingala's daughter Swahili, has a still unknown father; it could be Bondo, Kirembo, Diwani, David, Kelele or Luebo.
This also means that Lisala is now the only female of a breeding age yet to have a child in the group.

As for Clyde, unfortunately he passed away in July last year. I still have yet to find out why, but there was no press announcement oddly enough. This therefore leaves Bonnie, hers and Clyde's son Kindu, and female Binti and her two offspring Bikita and Bina.

Here's a link to Lokoro's birth announcement; Romagne (86) : un cinquième bébé bonobo à la Vallée des Singes - France 3 Poitou-Charentes

Any other questions just ask! :)


Also, update, Banbo's daughter has been named Yanola, and Liboso's has been named Kolela. Yanola has been fathered by Kasai, and Kianga's as of yet unnamed baby in Twycross has been fathered by Keke. Therefore we still have yet to hear Kolela's father's identity and Kianga's baby's name.
 
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