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?

I'll donate $3I'll donate $4 I'll donate $5I'll donate $9I'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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

I'll donate $3I'll donate $4 I'll donate $5I'll donate $9I'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?