Bonobos are 98.7% related to humans, making them one of our closest relatives. They are only found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and our project site in Mai Ndombe is an important refuge for this endangered species. The main threats to bonobos are habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade markets. Bonobos are hunted for their meat or to be sold as pets. Due to disturbance from the previous logging company, there were only 20-30 bonobos when we first started our project. Today, there are 15-20,000 bonobos in our project area at any one time. This is significant to the survival of the species as a whole, as there are only an estimated 30-50,000 bonobos left in the wild.

Forest elephants are the smaller and more reclusive cousin of the larger Savannah elephant. It was only in 2021 that forest elephants were declared a separate species. As mega-gardeners of the jungles, Forest elephants are some of our best warriors in the fight against climate change. By eating smaller plants, elephants reduce competition for soil nutrients and light, allowing larger trees to flourish and capture even more CO2 out of the atmosphere. Scientists hypothesize that the presence of a mega-herbivore is why the Congo Basin sequesters double the amount of carbon than the Amazon rainforest, even though it is only half the size. The main threats to forest elephants are climate change, habitat loss, poaching for ivory, and retaliatory killings from human-elephant conflict. Prior to Wildlife Works’ conservation project, forest elephants hadn’t been seen in the area in decades. Today, the local population has recovered and the project area now supports close to a 100 forest elephants.

Pangolins, the scaly, long-nosed anteaters of the tropics, are some of the most unique mammals in the world. By feeding on termites, they help to protect trees and maintain ecological balance. Unfortunately, they are also the most trafficked animal in the world, as their scales are used for traditional East-Asian medicines.

After elephants and rhinos, hippos are the third largest land mammal on our planet; a male hippo can weigh as much as three compact cars. Hippos can be extremely territorial and aggressive, and on average, kill 500 people per year in Africa (about twice the number of people killed by lions). Despite their impressive stature and aggressive predisposition, their populations are decreasing across Sub-Saharan Africa, most rapidly in the DRC. The main threats to hippos are habitat loss and hunting for their meat and teeth. Wildlife Works, in partnership with local communities, is creating strategies for human-wildlife coexistence.