Massive New Rainforest Reserve in Congo a Bulwark Against Global Warming

The government of Congo just announced the creation of the Sankuru Nature Reserve -- almost 12,000 square miles in the world's second largest rainforest. With deforestation accounting for 20% of annual global carbon emissions, the protection of the area -- larger than the state of Massachusetts -- is a big help in the fight against global warming. Sankuru stores 660 million tons of carbon which if released by deforestation would emit up to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide. The move also protects the habitat of the endangered bonobo, a great ape most closely related to humans. But not exactly all humans.

Read this from the announcement provided by the Bonobo Conservation Initiative and you'll see what I mean.

Bonobos are distinguished by their peaceful, cooperative, matriarchal society, remarkable intelligence, and sexual nature. Other than humans, bonobos are the only primates known to have sex not only for procreation, but also for pleasure and conflict resolution—and with members of either sex. Unlike chimpanzees, bonobos do not murder or wage war on others of their own kind. They serve as a powerful flagship both for conservation and for peace.

Amazing.

In danger of extinction, bonobos (Pan paniscus) were the last great ape
to be discovered and are the least known great ape species. Found only
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bonobos inhabit the heart of
the Congo Basin, Africa’s largest rainforest, which is threatened by
the onslaught of industrial logging.

“This is a huge victory for bonobo and rainforest conservation,” Sally Jewell Coxe, president and co-founder of the Bonobo Conservation Initiative said. “However our work has just begun. Now we need investment to successfully manage the reserve. And, other areas need to be protected to ensure the long-term survival of the bonobo and the integrity of the Congo rainforest.”

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