The Great Apes of Congo Center (GACC) is assessing the status of bonobos in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), working with the managers of logging concessions to provide better protection for these apes, promoting conservation-consistent livelihoods of people living in and near bonobo habitats, and offering community education programs about conservation in the capital of Kinshasa.

The President of GACC is Esombo Botamba, who co-authored DRC’s national great ape survival plan and helped draft the forestry code for DRC’s department of environment. The Trust has provided administrative support for GACC and also funded a survey of the bonobo population living in forests around Lake Maindombe. During a preliminary visit to the Lake Maindombe site, Mr. Botamba met with representatives of the logging company working in the area to make a case for leaving some forest areas intact so that the bonobo population could persist. He also met with local government officials and local tribal leaders to raise awareness of bonobo conservation efforts. That set the stage for his return trip to conduct the bonobo census, which is underway with Great Ape Trust support. Eventually he hopes to begin a local community conservation education program at Lake Maindombe.