After an intense survey through the Republic of Congo (just west of the Democratic Republic of Congo), researchers discovered more than 125,000 west lowland gorillas. Previous to this study, scientists estimated their population at about 100,000, so this find more than doubles their numbers.

The survey, completed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, is wonderful news, but experts are urging the world to let it motivate them to do more. Primate populations continued to be harmed around the world due to habitat destruction and hunting for trade, food and medicinal purposes. Finding these gorillas means that we have the opportunity to work hard to save great apes before they are deeper in crisis…before their numbers are horrifically low, before it’s too late.

Photos: Thomas Breuer/Wildlife Conservation Society-Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

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This picture taken by Marian Brickner is of Lucy’s Aunt Louise and her son Virgil looking into a frozen bucket of Kool-Aid at the CIncinnati Zoo. When we first saw the picture, we thought it looked like the bonobos were laughing, so we asked Marian about that day.

She told us, “They ARE laughing. The Kool-Aid had sunflower seeds and raisins in it, they eventually got it all out - in bucket form.”

Louise is the younger sister of Lorel (Lucy’s mom). Virgil is 11 years-old here and Louise is about 34.
We love her hand on his back.

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As I promised yesterday, here is Delfi’s story of bonobos meeting in the Zoo. Delfi is the Director of Animal Programs at the Jacksonville Zoo and was instrumental in allowing our photographer, Marian Brickner, to document the lives of Lucy and her family for our children’s book, I‘m Lucy: A Day in the Life of a Young Bonobo.

This is the story of a male being introduced to the bonobo family at his new zoo home, starting with one of the established females and her son.

Their first meeting went very well. They did the things that bonobos do when they first meet such as touch each other, look each other over, make a lot of fun bonobo noise, share food and establish dominance. Apparently this male was quite the gentleman and made no threatening gestures towards the female or her son. He knew his place - meaning that he understood full well that this new female friend ranked higher than him. As he moved towards the food, she expertly blocked his path - essentially controlling the food stash - and he politely moved in a different direction; he did what she told him to do!

But, this is our favorite, favorite part of the story. After their first meeting, the zookeepers routinely separate the bonobos once again until their next meeting. They split the bonobos up by guiding them each through separate doors, and it’s done. But the next time they brought these two bonobos together, the apes knew what was coming. When the zookeepers started the process to separate them, the male and female bonobos refused to part. They moved together closely and would not let go so that as the zookeepers encouraged them to move through each door, they did so together. They outsmarted the zookeepers who had no choice but to leave them together for that time.

More from our Delfi interview coming soon!

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Eleven year-old Haley Stern, president of Kids Save Apes, had an incredible journey to Boston in May where she met Jane Goodall, our very own Mathea Levine, and James Brooks - an incredible young man who has also done so much to raise awareness and money to help save great apes (and bonobos in particular). The reason for the trip was that Haley was chosen (with James as her co-pres) to present the great work that she’s doing as a member of Jane Goodall’s youth organization, Roots & Shoots. In her own words, here is the story of Haley’s adventure:

The weekend had finally arrived - I’d be meeting James Brooks, Mathea Levine - and of course - JANE GOODALL!

My dad and I drove into Boston with all of the Kids Save Apes material. “There it is!” I called up to the front seat. “Legal Seafood!” We walked in. I had only seen small photographs of James, but he was easy to spot. He was wearing a t-shirt with a gorilla, and a Great Ape Trust baseball cap. I sat down in between James, and Mathea’s kind daughters, Isabella and Delilah. I was not used to this… and I was thinking “Wow, this trip was arranged by me!? I was the one who was the advocate and talked with Roots & Shoots, and met James, and got every one together!”

So I had my meal, Mathea signed I’m Lucy for us, and we chatted a bit longer, and James, Neil (his dad), my dad and I walked out of the restaurant thinking about our next event - the Jane Goodall lecture.

It was great!! She receieved a standing ovation before she spoke a word. Of course, we were VERY proud of her accomplishments as well, being the advocates that us kids are.

I guess I expected the lecture to be long, boring, like most talks are! But Jane blew us all away. She talked about her unique experiences and the reasons for hope. She talked about kids, and how we ought to make a difference. To sum it up - you won’t regret it.

In the morning, we had a lot of fun. We presented our projects, gave a speech, and then…..met, and took pictures with Dr. Jane. It wasn’t like meeting someone famous, it was like meeting an old friend. She signed my book “Through a Window” and we were off. It was a great moment…and I hope to meet her again in the future.

After that, we went to the Franklin Park Zoo with James and Neil. We got face to face with gorillas ( a topic that I’ve reflected on through school reports ) and wow - that changed my life. When you get to know them for a while, the bonds really show!

Over all, I had a really amazing time, and I hope to have more events like this in the future !!

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Today, we had the pleasure of interviewing a brilliant, revolutionary and talented woman named Dr. Patricia Gray. She is the pioneer of Bio Music which basically examines music scientifically and science creatively - it studies the biological foundations of music. In particular, they study animal song (birds, whales, dolphins, mice) and animal music-ing (bonobos like Kanzi and Panbanisha making music) and then using their findings to understand incredible concepts like how humans can sing in tune together and clap rhythmically - it’s an amazing opportunity to delve into our evolutionary past since we share a common ancestor from 6 million years ago! These findings directly uncover the inner workings of our brains. We’ll be posting the interview (audio podcast) soon, so stay tuned…

I listened to Dr. Gray talk about how her work is so different from what’s typically done in scientific research because she isn’t just observing the bonobos, she’s participating in the process with them, she’s interacting with them. And, it got me to think about Dian Fossey who believed that all beings had the same rights and that they needed to be treated with the same respect as humans - a researcher who touched and communicated with the gorillas; Jane Goodall who named the chimps she worked with instead of giving them numbers as had always been standard practice; Sue Savage-Rumbaugh who communicates with bonobos and studies them as they move through their lives; and, Sally Jewell Coxe who is working to protect the bonobos in the DRC by involving, supporting and educating the people that share their country.

Of course, we know that this small summary barely scratches the surface of what these incredible women did and continue to do - but the common themes are: respect, interaction, doing something revolutionary and progress. And, we think that’s powerful stuff.

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Perry Beeman from The Des Moines Register dug a little deeper into the flood situation at the Iowa Great Ape Trust to discover that the bonobos were in fact a little scared by the rising flood waters, while the orangutans, whose natural habitat regularly floods, were calm, cool and collected. Most fascinating to us bonobo lovers is that we know the bonobos were uncomfortable with the situation not just because of their behavior - and our interpretation of their behavior - but because of Kanzi and his ability to communicate with humans.

Using his lexigram (picture board with symbols representing words and concepts), Kanzi was able to tell his people that he was afraid of ‘water gorillas’ (beavers) and ‘big water’. Thankfully, this communication works both ways and the scientists were able to tell the bonobos that the water would stop and that they’d be okay. Another way that researchers let the apes know that everything was okay was to stick to their routines, making sure to do some of their standard research activities everyday. Click here to read Beeman’s full article.

But the best news is that the flood waters have receded and a massive clean-up is underway. Thankfully the danger has passed, and all of the apes are okay. Good luck to the clean-up crews and everyone at the Great Ape Trust…and thanks for all that you do!

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This article appeared in the Iowa Independent, and we thought you’d all appreciate the update!

On Wednesday, the situation at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa started getting scary.

“We had to start making decisions about if and how we were going to keep our apes in the facilities,” said Jim Aipperspach, operations manager at the Great Ape Trust. “So, we had some tense moments.”

As it turns out, life over the next few days was going to be much harder on the human species than the apes.

“They seem to hardly be noticing,” said Rob Shumaker, director of orangutan research. “They just moved to a higher area, and other than a few inches of water in the building, they didn’t really notice a thing. In fact, none of them even got their feet wet.”

The campus’ three orangutans and seven bonobos have spent the week watching boats go by where cars usually tread, as well as being surrounded 24-hours-a-day by staff frantically trying to clean up and keep the water out.

“When you look at the campus now, it looks like a giant mess,” Shumaker said. “But it is actually not so bad.”

Floodwaters from the Des Moines River spilled over a low spot in an agricultural levee, flooding administrative suites and leaving the 230-acre campus in southeast Des Moines mostly under water. The administrative buildings are a total loss, Shumaker said, but computers and delicate research equipment were able to be saved.

“We knew the water was coming,” Shumaker said. “We certainly expect we’ve lost some of our appliances. At the moment, we haven’t identified any structural damage. We had enough warning that we moved all our computer equipment and other essentials, so that’s all saved. What we’ve lost really is the day to day stuff.”

There were some tense moments while watching the water rise, Shumaker said, but the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines and the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha both volunteered to help out in any way they could.

“Happily, we haven’t had to take advantage of that. It’s this kind of event where you really learn who your friends are, and they proved how wonderful they are, and it doesn’t surprise me a bit,” Shumaker said.

The ape buildings, which were constructed with the arboreal tendencies of the apes in mind, are functioning as officials expected they would during times of high water on the campus. The orangutan home stands three stories, or 30-feet, high, and the 13,000-square-foot bonobo home features a pair of 25-foot towers where the apes enjoy spending time.

Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a scientific research facility dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence.

For now, it seems the worst is behind them.

“We crested at 6:15 yesterday morning,” Shumaker said. “It stayed at that crest for several hours. At far reaches of the campus, we started to see it recede, so we knew by yesterday evening that the worst was behind us. We expect by tomorrow morning the water levels will drop considerably.”

Photos of flooding at the Great Ape Trust:

Administrative trailers are a “total loss” after flood waters from the Des Moines River inundated the Great Ape Trust of Iowa.

The bonobo building at the Great Ape Trust. The seven bonobos inside simply moved to higher levels in the building as waters began rising.

The orangutan building surrounded by flood waters.

Staff at the Great Ape Trust rake water-soaked straw out of the orangutan building.

Great Ape Trust staff drop off food and supplies for humans and apes.

Operations Director Jim Aipperspach points to the area where water began running onto the Great Ape Trust campus.

A Great Ape Trust employee carries supplies to those working in the ape holding buildings.

Al Setka, communications director for the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, points toward the campus’ entrance from a boat the staff use to get around.

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Another bonobo hero!!!! This is a great article (from baraza.wildlifedirect.org) that talks about Pierrot Mbonzo’s work and the honor he’s received. Congrats Pierrot! …and thanks for all that you do!

IPS 2008 EDUCATION AWARD HONORS BONOBO ADVOCATE IN DR CONGO

The International Primatological Society (IPS) has granted the 2008 Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award to Pierrot Mbonzo, whose far-ranging outreach programs, innovative workshops, and political savvy have helped make the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo a vital part of the battle to protect bonobos and their forest homes.

Mbonozo’s award is the third in a row for a Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) educator, following those of Ateh Wilson (Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon) in 2006 and Jerry Akparawa (CERCOPAN, Nigeria) in 2007.

Mbonzo (pictured at right) will receive the Charles Southwick Conservation Education Commitment Award at the IPS 2008 Congress, which will be held August 3-8 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

At Lola ya Bonobo, the only bonobo sanctuary in the world, Mbonzo helped establish the conservation education program that now reaches 15,000 schoolchildren in and around Kinshasa each year. Lola ya Bonobo holds weekly Kindness Clubs at the sanctuary’s education center, and Mbonzo conducts outreach activities each Monday, making presentations at area schools, churches and community groups to foster greater understanding of animal welfare and conservation issues.

“PASA is extremely proud of Pierrot and his work,” said Doug Cress, executive director of PASA. “His ability to engage and educate an audience — whether it be schoolchildren, village elders or politicians — is uncanny, and there’s no question he has fostered an understanding and compassion for bonobos that has been invaluable in the fight to save one of Africa’s most endangered species.”

Mbonzo has identified key bushmeat problem areas – particularly those that target bonobos – and fashioned workshops, education programs, and seminars that both educate Congolese and provide the tools to allow other NGOs to continue the education process.

All of this has been done in the DR Congo, a country that is notoriously unstable and often quite dangerous. But whether facing civic unrest in Kinshasa or civil war in the outlying regions to the north and east, Mbonzo has calmly and effectively continued his work.

As part of Lola ya Bonobo’s planned reintroduction program in the Basankusu region of the DR Congo in 2010, Mbonzo has assisted both in identifying potential release sites, and then evaluating them based upon the level of education and awareness for wildlife in the regions. After rejecting sites in Lodja and Mbandaka – in part, due to Mbonzo’s assessments — Lola ya Bonobo selected the current Basankusu site largely because Mbonzo was able to win the support of the Po communities in the region through outreach programs and meetings with village leaders.

Mbonzo has also headed new educational and lobbying activities aimed at influencing the Kinshasa-based environmental decision-makers, those who make laws and decide on strategic orientations for conservation issues in the DR Congo, as well as Kinshasa-based implementation of existing laws.

Lola ya Bonobo is a charter member of PASA, which was formed in 2000 to unite the sanctuaries that care for chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills and literally thousands of other endangered primates across Africa. For more information, please visit www.pasaprimates.org or contact PASAapes@aol.com.

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Horrible storms and flooding throughout the midwest have reached The Great Ape Iowa Trust - home to bonobos, Kanzi (Lucy’s brother) and Panbanisha, and many other great apes. Last night (6/10/08) the water rose sharply leaving 6 inches of water in the four trailers that house staff and administration. The good news is that the apes are safe as they live in vertical building structures (see the picture above), but the road to the ape facilities is flooded and impassable to regular traffic. Staff is using boats to get to the apes and give them food and water.

We wish we lived close enough to lend a hand…we’re sending best wishes and hopes for sunshine instead.

What is the Great Ape Trust?

Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a scientific research facility in southeast Des Moines dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence. When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.

Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Excerpted from the Great Ape Trust’s website: www.greatapetrust.org

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In a study done with four of the great apes - bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans - scientists offered the ape groups a variety of foods, both raw and cooked, to see which they liked better. The apes, who had never had cooked food before, tried carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, apples and beef. Choosing cooked over raw for each of the foods, save apples and white potatoes, the scientists believe that this is because, typically, cooking makes the food sweeter and easier to eat. Apples and white potatoes maintain a similar sweetness either way which explains the apes’ lack of preference.

In further tests, the apes were offered different textures of food and cooked came out on top again - with cooked, mashed carrots being the favorite.

While this fact is fascinating all by itself, researchers state that it provides evidence that we, humans, most likely had a taste for cooked food, even before we had control of fire. And that once we had control of fire, we quickly began to use it for cooking food.

All of this illustrates our connection to our ape cousins even more clearly as most humans also prefer cooked food to raw…DO YOU??? What are some of your favorite foods? Are they cooked or raw?

The full study will be published in the Journal of Human Evolution and was conducted by lead author Victoria Wobber, a Harvard University anthropologist, with colleagues Brian Hare and Richard Wrangham.

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