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"We have agreements with many of the local villages that are on the edges of the park, and they will be the managers and be very involved in it," she said. Bonobos -- often lauded as the "peaceful ape" -- are known for their matriarchal society in which female leaders work to avoid conflict, and their sex-loving lifestyle. The bonobo population is believed to have declined sharply in the last 30 years, though surveys have been hard to carry out in war-ravaged central Congo. Estimates range from 60,000 to fewer than 5,000 living, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The Sankuru reserve also contains okapi, closely related to the giraffe, that is also native to Congo, elephants and at least 10 other primate species. Startup funding has been provided through a grant of $50,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and about $100,000 from private donors, Coxe said. "We're really thrilled; now comes the hard work of funding it for long term," Coxe said. |
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