They are historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee. It’s an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the gene pan. The other being the common chimpanzee.
The bonobo is distinguished by relatively long legs, pink lips, dark face and tail-tuft though adulthood, parted long hair on its head. It’s found in a 500,000 km2 area of the Congo basin in democratic republic of Congo.
The species is omnivorous and inhabits primary and secondary forests including seasonal inundated swamp forests.
Due to political instability in the region, the timidity of bonobos has meant there has been relatively little field work done observing the species in its natural habitat.
The two species are not proficient swimmers, thus the formation of the Congo River 1.5-2 million years ago possibly led to the speciation of the bonobo. They live in the south of the river and thereby were separated from the ancestors of the common chimpanzee which live north of the river.
The species are listed as endangered on the IUCN red list and is threatened by habitat destruction and human population growth and movement though commercial poaching is the most prominent threat. Although there is no concrete data on their population, it’s estimated that they are between 29500 & 50000 individuals and they typically live 40 years in captivity, their life span is unknown.
