The great ape that lives naturally only in rainforests south of the Congo River is the bonobo.
Bonobos are found exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mainly in forests of the Congo Basin south of the Congo River. The river forms a major geographic barrier separating bonobo habitat from the range of their close relative, the common chimpanzee, which lives north of it.
Bonobos and chimpanzees are both members of the genus Pan and share roughly 98% of their DNA with humans. Bonobos are generally slimmer than chimpanzees and are known for highly social groups in which females often form strong alliances. Their diet includes fruit, leaves, seeds, flowers, and small animals.
A common mix-up is calling bonobos “pygmy chimpanzees,” an older name that is now generally avoided because bonobos are a distinct species, not simply smaller chimpanzees. Their wild population is threatened by hunting and habitat loss, and the species is classified as endangered.