Cincinnati Zoo Celebrates The Birth Of Beautiful Baby Bonobo!
Cincinnati Zoo keepers are celebrating the birth of a beautiful bouncing bonobo baby to 18-year-old mum Gilda on 8 September 2024.
Both mother and infant are doing well, taking some time to bond behind the scenes.
The keepers at the zoo's Jungle Trails are monitoring their progress and will begin gradually introducing them to the rest of the troop and their habitat when the pair are ready.
Bonobo infants are born with the remarkable ability to cling to their mothers, even when they are climbing. This natural adaptation is especially useful for bonobos, who are a tree-climbing species of great ape.
In addition to this exciting birth, two new bonobos have arrived at Cincinnati Zoo from the Memphis Zoo. The pair (not pictured), 26-year-old Lily and her 10-year-old son Mpingo, bring added social opportunities to the troop. As a highly social species, bonobos thrive in environments that encourage diverse interactions.
With these new developments, the bonobos have increased their social grooming, a behaviour that strengthens social bonds and promotes positive relationships within the group.
Although reliable population estimates of bonobos are hard to come by, as they inhabit a remote, densely forested area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, current estimates range from 10,000 to 20,000 bonobos left in the wild.