For bonobos, grooming plays a key role in building and maintaining strong social bonds. It helps reduce stress, reinforce friendships, and support cooperation within the group. Time spent grooming strengthens trust and communication—important ingredients in the peaceful, highly social lives bonobos are known for. At the Cincinnati Zoo, observing grooming behavior offers a window into bonobo relationships and social structure, reminding us how connection and cooperation are essential in their wor

Close up of Bo the 6-year-old bonobo. Bonobos share 98.7% of their genetic code with humans, making them, along with chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. As the last great ape to be scientifically discovered, much still remains unknown about the bonobo. | Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden