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Original Bonobo Paintings for Sale
The Zoological Society of Milwaukee is proud to share with you paintings by the bonobos (great apes) at the Milwaukee County Zoo. These one-of-a kind paintings are now available for purchase. By purchasing one of these pieces, you not only will be receiving a genuine piece of artwork created by an endangered ape, but you also will be supporting bonobo conservation efforts in the field. The bonobos' keeper, Barbara Bell, says that having apes paint pictures enriches their daily lives and is one of the many ways to ensure that bonobos stay happy and healthy.
Select a link below to learn more about this special offer.
Meet the artists
Painting prices
Where do the proceeds go?
For more information
See samples & Order
Framed Samples
Meet the Artists
The ages of the bonobos are current as of summer 2004.
 Ana Neema See sample paintings |
Ana Neema is a captive-born bonobo who transferred to the Milwaukee County Zoo from Georgia State University in 1999. Ana Neema is 12 years old and has one offspring, who is at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Ana Neema can be a very assertive female. |
| Bila-Isia Bila-Isia is the son of Makanza and Ana Neema. He is 3 years old and loves to play. He craves attention and often will "perform" for Zoo visitors, swinging on ropes. He was named after a former Zoological Society staff member at the Society's Kinshasa office in the Democratic Republic of Congo. See sample paintings |
| Brian Brian is a captive-born bonobo who came to the Milwaukee County Zoo from Yerkes in 1997. Brian was abused by his father and has several developmental problems. He was "adopted" by Kitty, a blind bonobo who is the oldest in the Zoo's bonobo group and one of the two oldest bonobos in the world. Lody the bonobo also has become a father figure to Brian, giving him a lot of love and role modeling. A psychiatric advisor provided help for Brian early on, suggesting that he get more one-on-one contact with other bonobos rather than try to integrate with the whole group. That strategy has worked, and Brian, now 15, can relate with several bonobos at a time. See sample paintings |
| Kosana On March 4, 2003, Kosana gave birth to a baby girl, who was named Deidre. Kosana arrived in Milwaukee in 2001, on loan from the Antwerp Zoo as part of a cooperative effort between the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) and the North American Bonobo SSP. Deidre's birth is Kosana's second successful birth and her first time "mother-rearing". Kosana has had difficulty in the past with her pregnancies. So, the staff and Kosana are very pleased to have Deidre with us. See sample paintings |
 Laura See sample paintings |
Laura is Linda's oldest living offspring and has lived with her mother in both San Diego and Atlanta before coming to live at the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1993. Laura is 37 years old and has five offspring currently living in both North America and Europe. At the Milwaukee County Zoo, Laura is perhaps the best mom in the bonobo group. She is mom to Murph; Makanza (whom she adopted), Zanga Mokila, and Claudine. Sometimes she is a caretaker for Zuri. "The more offspring you have, the more respect you get in the group," says bonobo keeper Barbara Bell. |
 Lody See sample paintings |
Lody is a wild-caught bonobo who came to the U.S. from Europe in 1986 with Kitty and Maringa, and has lived at the Milwaukee County Zoo for 18 years. At age 31, Lody is the dominant male bonobo in the Zoo's group and the primary breeding male. He has four offspring, all at the MCZ: Lomako, Zanga, Zomi II and Claudine. |
 Lomako See sample paintings |
Lomako is Lody and Maringa's son, born two years before he was transferred with his mom, dad and Kitty from Europe to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1986. Lomako was a very lively teenager. Now, at 20, he still is one of the most curious and intelligent of the Zoo's bonobo group. |
| Makanza Makanza is a captive-born bonobo who transferred to the Milwaukee County Zoo from Yerkes in 1995. Makanza is 10 years old and has one offspring, who is at the Milwaukee County Zoo. See sample paintings |
 Maringa See sample paintings |
Maringa is a wild-caught bonobo who came to the U.S. from Europe in 1986 with Kitty and Lody and has stayed at the Milwaukee County Zoo for 18 years. At age 32, Maringa is the top-ranking bonobo at our Zoo. In bonobo groups, the females "call the shots," notes bonobo keeper Barbara Bell. Second in status to Maringa is Linda (Laura's mom-see Laura below). Maringa has two offspring, who are both at the Milwaukee County Zoo: Lomako and Zomi II. |
 Murph See sample paintings |
Murph is Linda's son and was born at Yerkes and transferred to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 1993 with his mother. Murph is 14 years old. |
 Viaje See sample paintings |
Viaje is a wild-caught bonobo who came to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 2001 from Mexico. Viaje was imported to the U.S. when his life-long mate of 20 years passed away, and he was alone in his exhibit. Since bonobos prefer to live in groups, Viaje's owners sought out a more social situation for him. Milwaukee County Zoo staff spent several years trying to obtain clearance for his importation. Finally, in November 2001, Viaje joined kindred bonobos here at the Zoo. Developmentally, Viaje has a lot to learn, says zookeeper Barbara Bell. With the help of a psychiatric advisor, the MCZ has been able to meet Viaje's special needs and teach him how to behave with other bonobos. |
| Zomi II Zomi is the daughter of Lody and Maringa. She is 5 years old. Zomi is the Lingala (a Congolese language) word for 10. Lingala is a trade language in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the only place where bonobos are found in the wild. See sample paintings |
| Zuri Zuri is a captive-born bonobo who was transferred from the San Diego Zoo to the Milwaukee County Zoo in 2000, at the age of 2. Zuri was being hand-raised because he had some respiratory problems. So, when he came to our Zoo, he had to learn bonobo culture and etiquette. The hope was that one of the females would adopt him. Linda, age 45 at the time, took on this role and became a surrogate mother. She is dedicated to him and very protective. "What's cool," says Barbara Bell, "is that Linda is Zuri's great, great-grandmother.' Zuri is now 6 years old and thriving. See sample paintings |
Painting Prices
We currently have finger paintings in a variety of colors and sizes. All of the pieces come matted, framed and with a small gold plate that includes the name and age of the bonobo artist, our organization name, and the year the painting was produced. Prices vary according to the size of the print.
| Print Size | Donation Price | Tax-Deductible Portion | *Taxable Portion |
| 5" x 7" | $200.00 | $150.00 | $50.00 |
| 9 1/2" x 8" | $300.00 | $245.00 | $55.00 |
| 9" x 11" | $400.00 | $340.00 | $60.00 |
Please note: The framed product is larger than the print size. *The taxable portion is the associated costs for
framing and shipping; this includes 5.6% WI sale tax and is not tax-deductible."
Where do the Proceeds go?
All proceeds go directly to the Bonobo Conservation Biodiversity Initiative (BCBI). This program, created by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee in 1995, focuses on ensuring the survival of the bonobo populations in the Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo the only federally protected area for bonobos. Click here to learn more about BCBI.
For More Information
If you have questions or are interested in donating to the BCBI and receiving one of these unique pieces of art, please contact the Zoological Society of Milwaukee's Conservation Department at 414-276-0339, or e-mail us at conservation@zoosociety.org. Thank you for your interest and support of our bonobo conservation efforts. To learn more about bonobos, click here.
