Over a decade of civil war in the Democratic Re-
public of Congo, the natural habitat of bonobos,
and genocide in neighboring Rwanda have drasti-
cally threatened the survival of this peace-loving
species. These violent times have prompted the
hunting of bonobos to feed starving people and the
illegal capture of baby bonobos to be sold as pets.
In the 21st century, humans face the challenge of
making sure that other primates do not go extinct
due to human actions.Challenge Issue Other primates have long
fascinated humans owing to our many shared ana-
tomical and behavioral characteristics. Our simi-
larities, especially to the other great apes such as
this bonobo, can be readily seen not just in our
basic body shape but also in gestures and facial
expressions. Our differences have had devastat-
ing consequences for our closest living relatives in
the animal world. No primates other than humans
threaten the survival of others on a large scale.
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