Bonobo Dinner Event

New York, NY (April 6, 2016) An intimate group of conservation and humanitarians gathered at The J.M. Kaplan Fund office in early April to break bread and, simultaneously, learn about the plight of the bonobos, a species of ape that has been highly endangered as a result of poaching and habitat decimation.  In the Congo, bonobos are particularly threatened by hunters who seek their meat for black market trading, and whole communities of bonobos are consequently destroyed.  Often, infant bonobos are left behind, for they are too small to be profitable in the bush meat economy.

This is where Lola Y Bonobo intervenes.  Lola is an ape sanctuary that was created in 1994 by Claudine Andre, and is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just hugging the outskirts of Kinshasa.  The mission of Lola is to protect and rehabilitate bonobos that have been displaced, injured, and/or orphaned as a result of conflict, hunting, and the various other forms of violence that occur within the region.

The J.M. Kaplan Fund was fortunate enough to have Lola Founder Claudine Andre at the office for the evening, and she graciously shared the story of why she became involved with saving bonobos.  Needless to say, everyone at the dinner table was moved by her dedication, and inspired by her clear passion for helping our close relatives.

The evening was educational, enlightening, and uplifting.  A special thank you goes to Betsy Davidson, a Trustee of The J.M. Kaplan Fund, for arranging such an awesome event.

To learn more about the work that Lola Y Bonobo does, visit their website: http://www.lolayabonobo.org/