Bonobos transformed how we think about animal societies. Can we save the last of the 'hippy apes'?

The article discusses the conservation efforts for bonobos, a species of primates found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bonobos are considered one of the closest relatives to humans, and scientists believe that they may have even influenced human behavior through their use of medicinal plants.

Dr. Furuichi is quoted as saying, "Before the 1970s, the bonobo was still regarded as an unknown primate... The discoveries made over the past five decades have helped us to better understand the evolution of humankind."

The article also mentions Dr. Coxe, who is working on a project to study bonobos' use of medicinal plants in their forest habitat. She believes that there may be valuable insights into human health and medicine that can be gained from studying bonobos.

One of the main conservation efforts for bonobos is protecting their last remaining habitats. Dr. Furuichi notes, "There is still much to learn from them... Their use of medicinal plants in the forest, and what humans may have learned from them in this regard."

The article also highlights a new initiative to create a network of protected areas for bonobos across their range. This will provide a safe haven for the species to live and thrive.

In addition, the article mentions that the Democratic Republic of Congo has made significant progress in recent years in protecting its natural resources and promoting sustainable development.

Overall, the article presents a positive outlook on the conservation efforts for bonobos and highlights the importance of protecting their habitats and learning from their behavior.

I'm glad to see people like Dr Coxe getting all excited about those bonobos and their meds... it's like we're forgetting that humans have been messing up our own planet for centuries . Still, if studying them can help us find new treatments and stuff, then sounds good to me! What's not to love about saving some cousins from extinction?

I'm not buying it . Protecting bonobo habitats is great, but what about the bigger picture? We're talking about creating networks of protected areas across thousands of square miles of forest. That's a huge undertaking with massive resources required to maintain. What about the cost to the local communities and indigenous peoples who depend on those forests for their livelihoods?

And let's not forget about the scientific side of things... I'm skeptical about the claim that bonobos influenced human behavior through medicinal plants. It's a pretty big leap from using certain plants for healing to having a direct impact on human evolution.

I'd love to see more concrete evidence and research backing up these claims before we start making grand promises about conservation efforts.

I'm so glad to hear about these conservation efforts for bonobos ! It's amazing how much we can learn from these incredible creatures and their connection to our own evolution. I mean, who would've thought that studying the way they use medicinal plants could give us valuable insights into human health?

As someone who's lived through a lot of changes in my life, I gotta say that it warms my heart to see people like Dr. Coxe and Dr. Furuichi working tirelessly to protect these amazing animals and their habitats. It's a great reminder that even the smallest actions can make a big difference in the long run

And let's not forget about the Democratic Republic of Congo's progress in protecting its natural resources – it's definitely something to be proud of! As we continue on this journey, I think it's essential to keep learning from these incredible creatures and doing our part to preserve their habitats for future generations. Fingers crossed that this new network of protected areas will help ensure the bonobos' survival

awww man, it's so sad that bonobos are struggling to survive but it's amazing to see scientists like Dr. Furuichi and Dr. Coxe working tirelessly to learn more about them & protect their habitats they're literally giving us a chance to learn from our closest cousins in the animal kingdom can you imagine all the cool medicines or treatments we could get from studying bonobos' use of medicinal plants? it's like, they have this whole other way of living that's just super valuable to us and I'm all for that! let's keep supporting these conservation efforts & give those bonobos the love & protection they deserve

OMG, I'm so stoked to hear about the new initiative to create a network of protected areas for bonobos ! It's like, we need to preserve these amazing creatures and their habitats ASAP . Dr. Coxe's research on medicinal plants is also super fascinating, I mean, who wouldn't want to learn from nature ? The fact that bonobos are our closest relatives is mind-blowing ! Protecting their habitats and learning from their behavior can definitely give us valuable insights into human health and medicine #BonoboConservation #Sustainability #WildlifeProtection

I'm so down for this initiative to protect bonobo habitats! It's crazy how much we can learn from these incredible creatures. Did you know that bonobos are actually expert plant surgeons? They use medicinal plants in the forest to heal their own injuries, and it's really opened our eyes on potential new treatments for humans too.

But seriously, creating a network of protected areas is super important for their survival. It's heartening to see the DRC making strides in conservation efforts, especially with sustainable development. We gotta do our part to help these amazing primates thrive!

Ugh I'm getting so sick of all these feel-good articles about conservation . Can't they just focus on something concrete? Like how we're still using ancient tech or something . And another thing, what's with the emphasis on 'valuable insights' from bonobos? We've got scientists who are actually studying their brains and stuff, why not get some real info out of it?

And don't even get me started on the 'new initiative' to create protected areas. Like we haven't heard that one before... . How about they focus on actual implementation instead of just talking about it? And btw, have you seen the layout of this website? It's a mess!