Which rainforest in Africa is home to the bonobo?

The rainforest in Africa that is home to the bonobo is the Congo rainforest, more precisely the Congolian rainforests of the Congo Basin. Bonobos live only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in humid forests south of the Congo River and north of the Kasai River.

This range distinction helps separate bonobos from their close relatives, common chimpanzees. The Congo River acts as a major geographic boundary: bonobos occupy forests to its south, while common chimpanzees occur mainly to the north. Bonobos use primary forest, secondary forest and seasonally flooded swamp forest, rather than one single uniform habitat.

The species is important to the rainforest beyond its appeal as a great ape. Bonobos are predominantly fruit-eaters and disperse seeds from more than 91 plant species, sometimes carrying them several kilometres before depositing them. They are endangered, with habitat loss, hunting and political instability threatening populations. Protecting their forest therefore supports both a distinctive ape and the regeneration of the wider Congo ecosystem.