Empty Hands, Open Arms: The Race to Save Bonobos in the Congo and Make Conservation Go Viral
In the great-ape category of endangered species, gorillas and chimpanzees have so far received the bulk of media attention, mostly due to celebrity zoologists such as Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall championing their cause. Hence, until recently, one unusual—and endangered—primate, the bonobo of the Congo rain forest, had been comparatively overlooked by photojournalists and TV nature-show producers, perhaps because the animals’ penchant for promiscuous sex would make filming a tad risqué. Fortunately, a nongovernmental organization called the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) has been quietly but effectively protecting bonobos’ habitat and convincing their human neighbors to stop hunting them. For this absorbing report on the BCI’s innovative methods, renowned journalist Bléchard mingled with Congo villagers and BCI fieldworkers, observing how the conservationists forged alliances with villagers to build new schools and create jobs. In a country torn by unremitting military strife and rapacious mining, BCI’s work has also helped slow rain-forest destruction. Bléchard’s masterful, adventure-driven reporting delivers an inspiring account of an all-too-rare ecological success story. --Carl Hays