Conservationists and zookeepers are celebrating the birth of a healthy baby bonobo, our closest living relative.
Heartwarming photos show Yuli, the bonobo mother, cradling her newborn at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, where the infant was born last Thursday.
Experts have hailed the birth as a “globally significant” event, with the potential to aid the survival of one of the world’s rarest apes. Twycross Zoo is the only UK zoo to care for bonobos, making this new arrival the country’s sole baby bonobo.
Yuli arrived at Twycross in 2023 from Vallée des Singes in France as part of a European-led conservation program.
“Bonobos are humans’ closest living relatives, yet they remain among the most endangered and least understood apes on Earth,” said Dr. Rebecca Biddle, chief conservation officer at Twycross Zoo. “Every birth is a milestone and a reminder of what can be achieved when zoos work together. As the only UK zoo caring for bonobos, we are proud and feel a great responsibility to protect this incredible species.”
Bonobos are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, sharing more than 98% of human DNA. Their numbers are declining in the wild, primarily due to poaching and deforestation. Found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bonobos are unique among great apes for their female-led, matriarchal societies, contrasting with the male-dominated hierarchies typical in other primates.
The European conservation program cares for around 10% of all bonobos in Europe and is a key collaboration among EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) member zoos.
For now, mother and newborn will remain out of public view to ensure uninterrupted bonding and nurturing during these critical early weeks.