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[ [link removed] ]Bonobo baby laying on it's mother and putting one leg up in the air

John,

Deep in the Congo rainforest is an irreplaceable stretch of wilderness
where bonobos coexist in harmony with the Bakela people, who for
generations have honoured and protected these gentle apes.

This precious place is a lifeline for the world’s last bonobos and
countless other species teetering on the brink. But it’s in serious threat
of vanishing altogether.

A sweeping oil auction is now underway in the Congo, threatening bonobos
ONLY natural habitat. Vast swaths of this carbon-rich and unspoiled
rainforest -- one of the few left on the planet -- are at critical risk.
Unless we act fast.

Local partners are sprinting to create the Lilungu Nature Reserve: a
*million-acre* community-managed conservation and research haven for
bonobos and this living forest. If we rush a donation, we can help them
protect this irreplaceable wilderness before it’s too late.

Can you chip in to save the last bonobos and their forest home?



[ [link removed] ]I'll donate
$3[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate
$4
[ [link removed] ]I'll donate
$5[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate
$9[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate another amount



Most of the world’s second-largest rainforest is located in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- and the government has just opened an area
larger than California to bids for oil and gas drilling, including
essential habitats for endangered bonobos and lowland gorillas.

[ [link removed] ]Map showing the 52 new oil blocks the DRC is auctioning that overlap
with pristine forest in the Congo Basin

This is the only place on Earth where wild bonobos exist -- and the space
they have to live is already shrinking as logging, mining and oil
companies continue to move deeper into their habitat.

If we don’t protect the rainforest from deforestation and exploitation,
bonobos won’t survive.

[ [link removed] ]Three bonobos sitting together with the Congo forest surrounding them.
One is looking directly at you.

Nestled on the banks of the Tshuapa River, Lilungu is strategically
positioned between the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve to the north and the
Sankuru Nature Reserve to the south. It connects these protected areas to
form a critical wildlife corridor where bonobos can freely and peacefully
roam.

[ [link removed] ]Overlooking the Tshuapa River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

It’s safeguarded by the Bakela people, who care deeply about protecting
bonobos and preserving the forest that is their shared home -- and it’s
one of the rare places where bonobos are fully habituated to humans and
can be observed daily for conservation research.

[ [link removed] ]Person conducting field research in Lilungu, in partnership with BCI
in this community-based approach to conservation.

But with the threat of oil companies swooping in at any moment and
destroying this irreplaceable forest, local partners urgently need our
help. If enough of us chip in, we can get them the funds they need without
delay -- and continue campaigning to defend nature from exploitation.

Can you chip in to save the last bonobos and their forest home?



[ [link removed] ]I'll donate
$3[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate
$4
[ [link removed] ]I'll donate
$5[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate
$9[ [link removed] ]I'll
donate another amount



Your donation will help power Ekō and our campaigns worldwide fighting for
people and the planet.

For more than twenty-five years, Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) has
worked hand-in-hand with Congolese partners and Indigenous communities to
create a beautiful model of conservation and humanitarian needs. Their
work provides sustainable sources of income for local communities and a
safe habitat for bonobos and other endangered animals -- all while
protecting the rainforest from rampant deforestation and exploitation. 

Let’s help expand this beautiful vision and protect a million acres of
bonobo habitat right away -- and continue to help save forests and
endangered wildlife everywhere. Are you in?



  Thanks for all that you do,  
Yasmin and the Ekō team



---------------------------------

More information:

[ [link removed] ]Forests to Frontlines: Oil Expansion Threats in the DRC
Earth Insight, 29 July 2025
 
[ [link removed] ]Gorilla habitats and pristine forest at risk as DRC opens half of
country to oil and gas drilling bids
The Guardian, 29 July 2025
 
[ [link removed] ]World’s largest carbon sink at risk: 52 new oil blocks auctioned in DR
Congo, threatening 124 million hectares
DownToEarth, 30 July 2025
 
[ [link removed] ]Oil exploration in the Congo basin rainforest could be a disaster for
nature and the climate
The Guardian, 08 August 2025

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]