San Diego Zoo - Lost Forest - Bonobos
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Bonobos: Peaceable primates


Below the gorillas’ lush habitat you’ll find the spacious home of our bonobos. They are quite possibly the most intelligent primates on Earth (other than us humans, of course!). The San Diego Zoo was one of the first zoos to exhibit the highly endangered bonobos and we currently have one of the largest troops of bonobos in zoos. One characteristic bonobos are especially known for is their ability to get along: unlike humans or chimpanzees, they have never been observed killing one of their own kind.

What you’ll also notice is that these intelligent animals are a lot of fun to watch. Their exhibit is dominated by giant rock outcroppings and distinctive, twisted palms, on which the playful bonobos nimbly climb. Waterfalls and streams add to the African rain forest atmosphere. But the real show is the bonobos themselves—just a few minutes observing them in action and you’ll realize how smart they really are!

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