July – August - September 2008
While Olympic delegations from around the world marched behind their banners at the
opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, Tatango, our best bonobo athlete,vaulted over the electric fence surrounding
Tatangohis enclosure, cheered on by the admiring
females. I guess everyone has theiraudience! But all's well that ends well! Mama
Yvonne brought him back, very calm but
most certainly very proud of himself. Wellhe should be, because in his short time outof the enclosure, he managed to borrow awheelbarrow, destroy an easel in the
educational tent, and even had a drink at therefreshment stand in celebration!
On our way to Basankusu:
This time, it’s no longer just a dream: we're setting off! Finally! Pierrot and I had to beseated and buckled up in the plane before we really believed it! Keep in mind, we'dalready had to endure three failed attempts, one of which we abandoned during thefinal phase (our bags had even been registered!). The crisis and rising fuel prices in the
DRC (not only the DRC!) greatly reduced our number of fellow passengers, able to pay
the 840 dollars for a round-trip ticket from Kinshasa to Basankusu!
On board, we had our precious cargo: all the text books, educational material andnotebooks for the seven schools of the Ilonga Mpôo, the future guardians of thebonobos that will be reintroduced into a part of their forest next year. My first worry
had always been to support them in their quest: to educate their children despite theirisolation. Nothing was more inspiring than the pride of the Mpôo people! I had alreadyafter my first visit, pleaded their case to the French Ambassador in the DRC. It was
important that he be aware that the French language had indeed penetrated the dense
equatorial forest thanks to catholic and protestant missionary schools. Our association,
the A.B.C. therefore did everything in its power to help this educational dream cometrue.

The cargo arrives
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The French government responded
positively to our request, so the
supplies were purchased and we will
now be able to ensure a real school
year for the Mpôo children! We'll
also be giving them blackboards andchalk, and maybe we'll even find away of making some new school
benches to replace the bamboo ones
the children are using now! On board
The cargo arrivesof the « Filair » Antonov-24, ourparcels were everywhere!
Under
every seat! I had some under my knees and on my feet... (here, everything is possible!)
A big welcoming committee was awaiting us in Basankusu, where we were to finalize thecooperation agreements with the chiefs of the Ilonga Mpôo. They officially pledged to
become the guardians of the bonobos, while continuing to enjoy their full rights in theforest. Only in the zone we're marking off « Ekolo ya bonobo » will there be a total ban
on hunting. This time, the adventure can really begin!
We flew over the great Maï-Ndombe Lake, which showed a beautiful contrast between
its black waters and white, sandy beaches. All around it, as far as the eye could reach,the impenetrable, dense forest that the
The harbour at Basankusu
bonobos call home stretched out in every
direction. I had in my backpack, a manuscript
sent to me by José Dosonge to entertain me in
my sleepless hours. This former member ofthe Belgian colonial administration lived in
Basankusu in the 50s and already after the
first few pages, I could see that his precursor
ideas were very similar to my own. Its thanks
to chance encounters like this one that I fully
appreciate my luck to have come here in 1951
and to have passed from the statute of a child of the colony, to that of an « expat » ofthe third republic. I still think about it to this day!
The signing of the collaboration agreement with the « Ilonga-Mpôo »It was barely 6 o’clock, dawn had left a grey cloak of mist hovering over the Lulonga
river. The colour of the sky left little to hope for! Shame! We had planned to accompany
the pirogues of the Mpôo who were to return home after our important meeting theprevious day.
In joyful spirit, together we had signed an agreement which is fundamental to theestablishment of “Ekolo ya Bonobo”.

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My choice of the forest of the Ilonga Mpôo population had been made for over a year.
I know just how, the many years of a tradition whereby people belong to the land they
live on is deeply rooted in the minds of the native populations. For this reason we had
had to step lightly…
The piece of land I was asking for, limited to the north by the Molambi river, isconsidered mythical in their tradition and so remained a topic for discussion. Neither
Pierrot, nor our technical partners, nor the presence of Marie-Laure had managed toconvince them that once committed to the final and official phase, the Mpôo had toaccept and respect our sole agreement
not to hunt beyond that river! All the
representatives
of
the
Mpôo
community were willing, but… far from
the Molambi river! That’s just how it iswhen it comes to the beliefs andcustoms of the people of the forest. A
few “magic” trees, and a mythicalwatercourse had reduced the terrain
for Ekolo ya Bonobo, to become too
narrow and too small, much too small…
for my liking.
One week later, after endless discussions where we believed we were making headway,
but then with just one unexpected or indirect question, we would find ourselves rightback where we had started, we finally managed to come to an agreement! “Ekolo” will beestablished exactly where I have dreamed it! The Ilonga-Mpôo fully understood thatthey would still be able to live the joys of gathering fruit, and of fishing and thecollecting of caterpillars so rich in precious proteins. The only forbidden activity will be
to hunt with traps, poisoned arrows andfirearms. And believe me, for the Mpôo itis not a big sacrifice as the forest of theirancestors is almost 20 times larger than
“Ekolo ya Bonobo”! Not to forget that thelatter is flooded during the rainy season
and has been void of game for years.
In exchange we will help them, they will
have a dependable spokesperson in thecapital, people who will think about themand respect them for giving their word.

The agreement is madeFollowing all this, we returned to the village! The AWF helped us by supplying an
additional pirogue, ours being overloaded! Many friends of Lola also supported us bybringing useful gifts, which will mean so much to the Mpôo and their children who arecompletely destitute.

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The “Nkumu” (local chief) resembling afigurehead proudly wore what he calls “his32 teeth”. 32 leopard canines which
following tradition, were passed down tohim from his ancestors. As for me, I
enjoyed the calm dark waters of the Lopori,its string of islands and its luxurious forest.
Without waiting the sun was unveiled and in
the searing heat I had to take out myindispensable parasol. My men laughed eventhough they too have picked up the habit ofbringing an umbrella to protect them from the sun!
As we passed by, Pierrot hailed a man perched at the top of a raffia palm tree. He had
fresh palm wine, barely alcoholised, a realtreat! The calabash made its way along the
pirogue, “ It’s really delicious!” stated Pierrot
filling my cup as he wiped his mouth. And
believe me, if the city dweller inside me loves
a nice French white wine, an aperitifsavouring this light and fresh raffia wine on
the river is also a moment of sheer pleasure!
Every now and then we greeted the fishermen, busily seeking the fish that we would
cook on the glowing embers that very
evening as we sit around the fire in a camp
somewhere along the Lopori.
At that very moment I thanked thebonobos from the bottom of my heart forhaving brought me on this adventure thatallowed me to rediscover the depths of
the Congo, the hospitable people, theA village along the Lopori
beautiful scenery and the primary
rainforest of the Congo Basin. – Yes, here in the midst of this black mirror, sliced byour pirogue, I was experiencing a part of my paradise.
Little Amazone“Bon voyage Amazone! And good luck!” I shouted from the riverbank, wiping a tear fromthe corner of my eye (for hope or by despair?). In front of me on the river was a longbarge, a real “people boat” leaving the harbour. On the quay, surrounded by theirmerchandise, remained the many people who had hoped for the generosity of thecaptain till the very end. They tried everything to make the trip to Kinshasa, the only
one available to them with the little money they have. It had been several months sincea boat had docked here. Despite their disappointment, they waved off the “selected

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few” who were holding on here and there, packed pretty much everywhere on the barge.
Only the captain’s deck seemed somewhat orderly.
A few days before, a young couple had done all they could to meet me. They had comeinto the heart of our house, the father, carrying a little girl, 6 or 7 years old, with her
face half covered by a cloth. They informed me that their child is called Amazone, “sheisn’t ill, you needn’t worry about contagion.” She had a tumour and so they unveil her
face. Great heavens! How could I hide the look of surprise on my face? The right sideof her face was intact, but the other side wascompletely deformed by the massive tumour, the eyealmost out of the socket could no longer be closed toprotect the already dried out cornea. They then told
me their story. This “thing” had started to show about
12 months before, in their village far within the forest,
home to wild bonobos. They had tried to help the childby ripping out a tooth that seemed to be the source ofthe pain, but the swelling had just continued. They thendecided to embark on the long pirogue trip down the
Maringa River to find help in Basankusu. At the hospitala nurse diagnosed her with Burkitt’s lymphoma, but
obviously he had no way of treating her withchemotherapy! A local church had helped by ordering
medication from Kinshasa but the treatment, which wasjust too expensive, was stopped despite the positive
results. “A hundred dollars per injection” they told me, “we just don’t have that kind ofmoney!”At that point, (now poorer then ever), what with the departure of the boat being so
close and my presence in Basankusu they had seen a glimmer of hope. My mind was awhirlwind. I definitely didn’t have enough personal funds to take her on and should the
ABC take on the responsibility of the Director’s feelings? But how would I ever be able
to look at myself in the mirror with out a feeling of guilt if I didn’t at least try to dosomething for little Amazone?
I have so many friends all over the world, surely I was going to be able to find a few
sensitive souls. “La chain of hope” or “Doctors without borders” would they not be able
to help relieve the physical pain and mental distress of this little girl?
But paying the embarkation ticket was one thing, but I was also going to have toconvince the captain that she was not dangerous for the other passengers! Once thatwas done he then asked me to commit to cover the costs should she die during thejourney… I used all the words I could to thank him for his graceful and humanitarianact, allowing them to travel on his boat. I watched as the “floating village” set off down
the Lulonga; soon to meet the great Congo River. What a paradox! “ Amazone was totravel on the Congo”! Once the ripples had calmed down the black waters became aperfect mirror once again. I stayed a while pondering as I watched them disappear on
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page 5the horizon, she too was going to need sponsors from far and wide, just like ourorphaned baby bonobos…
Life in Basankusu quickly went back to normal, a few pirogues were already sliding up
and down the river. I had much to do that day! One mission was to try to confiscate alittle bonobo that had been brought back from the Maringa region and was kept by a
Captain of the DRC Armed Forces. His
major didn’t seem to have much influence infront of such stubbornness! And yet, god
only knows how lucky we are in Basankusu:
The troupes were very receptive to ourpresence and had even asked us to visit
them and give them presentations! Pierrot
met with the militaries, showed a few films
and explained over and over again why we
all need to help in the conservation of thebonobos: “100% Congolese!” That is the magic phrase, which can convince nearly anyone!
We made the most of the opportunity to try to get our hands on the baby bonobo… Toolate! He had already died a few days before…
The epidemic
Since my arrival in Basankusu, everyone who had come to greet me had told me of a
porcine disease that, everyday, was taking the lives of the few pigs that had survived
the pillage by soldiers and the war. Last March I had already heard that it had taken
hold in Djolu and even in Wamba (The scientific reserve in Luo held by our friends, theJapanese primatologists); so the epidemic had managed to spread throughout the entire
province of Equateur! “They die one after the other.” said my missionary neighbour,“Even those that cost so much to bring all the way from Kinshasa. They seemed moreresistant, but alas, they too are affected by the epidemic! And that’s not all! We also
lost a good number of our chickens early last year!” Local beliefs don’t need much totake a hold in this community! If the epidemic began just after the collection ofcaterpillars (a very important source of protein in the area), it could be because ofthem! Conclusion: The trees where the caterpillars are found must be felled!
I asked Pierrot, “How can we fight against poaching in the forest without helping
breeders to keep their livestock?” I realised that we absolutely have to be theirspokesperson to the Ministry of Agriculture (Responsible for the Republic’s veterinary
service.) and also alert the Ministry of the Environment and Nature Conservation.
Luckily for the province of Equateur, the political authorities responsible for these two
ministries are native to the Equateur!
With the help of the local officials (the youngest of which must be about 60 years old
but to my utter joy are very ”administrative”!) I gathered copies of all their reports togive to the Ministers in person. We collected the archives, their notes, and theircomplaints, which due to the lack of a postal service were to reach Kinshasa far too late
for any action to be taken!!! And all this in offices, which have suffered 16 years of

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page 6misery, war and pillage… without doors, sometimes no roofs, equipped with furnishings,
which you can’t even begin to imagine!
And such poverty pushes people to do dangerous things. The decrease in the price of
pork at the market tempts the consumers! Throughout the days I saw these scared anduncomfortable pigs tied up on the racks of the “Toleka” (taxi-bicycles). Destination:
The market, the owners still hoped to sell them. It may have been that the remainderof the livestock has already succumbed to the epidemic… what carelessness! The past
30 years have taught us that viral mutations can lead to us being affected: AIDS,
Ebola, SRAS, even bird flu are all examples which have not yet reached these people
who are ignorant to the current reality! Once again I was to question yet moreauthorities in Kinshasa: The Minister of Health, the Minister of Social Affairs and afriend, the Professor J.J. Mayembe from the INRB (National Institute for Biomedical
Research) who was already facing the epidemics of Ebola and “Monkeypox” in theprovince of Kasaï… “But dear Professor, know that here, near Waka, Monkeypox is alsopresent, certainly due to the current boom in poaching!!!”I wondered whether the presence of the young demobilised troops (supposedly
unarmed) could be an important factor influencing the fact that I had received threebaby bonobos from this region? When you add to that the fact that there is a total lackof sources of protein due to the epidemics affecting the pigs and poultry since thebeginning of the year… soon even the dogs in the area will become endangered! The
Gombes, one population in Basankusu, informed me that the Mongos (a forest dwelling
population also found in large numbers in Basankusu) are known to be very fond of dog
meat… “ At least that meat is healthy!” they said without thinking that I could beshocked!
The football team: “ The Basankusu bonobos ”
Here, there are very few sports that are accessible to the children, apart from street
football. They make their footballs using the white sap of the rubber trees in an oldabandoned plantation. They are real bobbins
of natural rubber, blown up by mouth andtightly sealed. They are very solid. In fact,
they can last several years! Alas, thenational
championshiprequiresthe“International Standards”: football shirts,
shorts, shin-pads, socks and boots. The
founder of the EFOBA (The football schoolof Basankusu), one of the 12 football teamsin the district, decided to create the
The Basankusu Bonobos
football team in order to get the youths
involved in something once they left secondary school. I had been invited to go and meet
the team and give them a presentation to increase their awareness as to the protectionof bonobos, a meeting, which lead to the creation of a group of “messengers” spreading
the word! But I could see that these messengers also hoped that if the ABC was
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settling in an office in Basankusu then maybe they might have a chance of finding asponsor!
During a later stop-over in Paris, I went to meet Corinne Marchal from Bloomberg, whogave us T-shirts and flasks. But we still had the rest of the equipment to find! Alain
Tixier, the director of the feature film “Bonobos”, spoke to his wife Brigitte about thesituation, as she is very involved in the town hall of Melun. They couldn’t promise much,
but they were going to try to get a first aid kit from the Melun football squad. (Isn’t
that where Claude Makelele, the famous football player for the French National teamstarted?) The rest of the equipment, including the printing of the educational slogan
onto the team’s T-shirts, would be taken on by a project funded by Sea World Busch
Gardens in the United States. The colours were chosen: Green for the forest and black
for the bonobo.
Overjoyed by the good news, the “Basankusu Bonobos” as they are now known, went on
to win the first round. In the Congolese championship they beat the other 11 teams tobecome the district champions! They then had to go on and go to Bumba for theprovincial selection.
Alas, moving a whole team and their trainers, even by pirogue (an eight day trip to
Bumba, through Mbandaka), without another reliable source of funds other than hopingon the goodness of a few well-off people… Pierrot rolled his eyes behind his glasses. I
was already dreaming of seeing the “Basankusu Bonobos” champions of ‘Equateur’… andperhaps even of the Congo!!! And with that, the word “Bonobo” would be shown proudly
throughout the territory… “Come on, surely we can try to help them?” said Pierrot, “It
is a great education opportunity and we have not yet spent all the money planned forthe education program.” You don’t need much to convince me! And so they were to go
to Bumba!
We returned to Lola full of fresh memories of our time spent in Basankusu, but alsowith a long list of important things to do before we go back again at the end of themonth….

Lola’s little pink bookJune 28th : Crispin is a dad again!
A handsome little boy weighing 2.9
Kg, called Joseph (but quickly
nicknamed Jef) came to complete
the lovely little family. Christina,
his big sister is overjoyed! Bothmother and baby are very well!

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page 8But also…… and finally !
August 31st : The birth of “ Nkumu ya lola ”
Before our departure forBasankusu,
over
three
weeks ago we were alreadykeeping an eye on Kisantu
who was expecting. She wasenormous! “This baby isgoing to be a big one!” said
Crispin. “Unless it’s twins!”
we
said
jokingly,
considering the size of the
future mother!
Finally, on the 31st ofAugust, Valéry called me in
Basankusu: “The baby ishere! He is nice and big andhe was born with hair”, she said proudly! “It will bring us luck!” I responded. And
thinking of the Village chiefs, always with their fancy headdresses, I suggested: “We
could call him ‘Nkumu ya Lola’ (the chief of Lola)”. Kisantu was already giving Nkumu all
the love and attention he needed, and, as expected, she was plucking off, hair-by-hair,
his little ‘birth cap’. Sixty-two bonobos? There are now so many in our little paradisethat I couldn’t help but think how many had been hunted in the forest! Our poor
bonobos of the Congo!
New arrivals this quarter
SANDOAA man claiming to be in the National
Marine and having arrived from
Bolobo (a town in the province ofBandundu on the left bank of theCongo River, where the presence ofBonobos is confirmed by the WWF)came to my husband’s business with ayoung bonobo in his arms. He
explained that he had “confiscated”
her (more like “bought”) from somebush-meat traders when his boat had
docked in Bolobo.

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He had hoped he might make a bit of money by selling her in Kinshasa but he had foundno buyers! In town, people had suggested he take her to “Maman Bonobo” because it
would cost so much to feed her and bonobos are protected by law. Being that the manin question didn’t have any means of reaching “Lola ya Bonobo”, he simply found myhusband! “He must come here!” said Crispin, “This man needs educating!”
Sandoa arrived at Lola on the 2nd of September. She was very small, it seemed that her
trip since her capture had not been excessively long, she was in quite good health.
Clémence took care of her during her quarantine period, but she soon joined the nursery
where she found her new substitute mother, Espérance, who was to be free of little
Vanga, then ready to join the big group in enclosure 1.
Tears….
On the 10th of September when I
arrived at Lola, Maman Yvonne, intears, fell into my arms. Her son
had just died of a sudden attack of
cerebral malaria! Poor Yvonne, who
lived alone with her three children!
We tried as we could to help her
through her mourning. As usual inthese kinds of situations, the staff
at Lola, like a big family, stayed ather side.

Maman Yvonne…and a few laughs at Lola.

Sake, ready for some mischief

But life, as cruel as it canbe, does go on. In thenursery, the escapades ofSake also known as “ theterror” had our Mamanslaughing! “She doesn’t missa single opportunity!” Said
Maman Henriette totally
surpassed, “She is always
ready for the next time!”That’s the way in thenursery:new‘leaders’
always reveal themselves tous!

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