Endangered bonobo born at Germany's Frankfurt Zoo

Frankfurt Zoo has welcomed bonobo baby Faro, a healthy male born to 24-year-old mother Mixi, marking her fourth offspring. The endangered species faces declining numbers in the wild due to habitat loss and poaching, underscoring the importance of conservation efforts.

Reuters

22 January 2026 at 06:18:43

Mixi, an experienced 24-year-old Bonobo mother huddles with her newborn baby Faro, born on December 7, 2025, at Frankfurt Zoo in Frankfurt, Germany, January 21, 2026.

Timm Reichert/Reuters

Frankfurt's bonobo family has a new addition, bonobo baby Faro. The infant was born on December 7 to 24 year-old mother Mixi.

This is her fourth baby, the zoo now has 18 of the great apes species.

"The baby is doing very well. He is well protected and cared for by his mother; he drinks milk, sleeps a lot, is groomed by his mother—so everything is perfect" zoo keeper Steffen Greff told Reuters TV on Wednesday (January 21) in Frankfurt.

Faro is named after a national park in Cameroon. "We always try to give our animals names from their countries of origin, or at least from their continent of origin", said Greff.

Little Faro will stay with his mother forever.

Whilst females tend to leave the tribe, boys cling to their mothers - even when they are being sent to other zoos for breeding., his mum will follow.

"You won't be able to separate Faro and Mixi; they will always be together. And yes, whether that's here in Frankfurt—they might even be able to stay here—or in another zoo. But the two of them are always together."

According to Frankfurt Zoo, bonobos live in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and are an endangered species, with a declining population mainly due to loss of habitat and poaching.

According to the zoo, the Frankfurt Zoological Society works closely with the Congolese national park authority in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Production: Frank Simon, Petra Wischgoll/Reuters