In 1994 Claudine Andr created the association Friends of Animals in Congo, which later became Friends of Bonobos of Congo (les Amis des Bonobos du Congo – ABC) in 2002, when the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary was established (with 20 orphaned bonobos under their care).

Lola ya Bonobo is the world’s only bonobo sanctuary, and ABC is the only institution in the DRC that is officially authorized to receive bonobos confiscated by the Ministry of Environment or voluntarily turned over by their owners.

Originally established to help provide refuge for bonobos rescued from the bushmeat and pet trades, ABC’s programs have expanded in scope and scale over the years. Today ABC has an integrated bonobo conservation program that includes the rescue and rehabilitation of orphan bonobos at the sanctuary, environmental education activities in and around Kinshasa and within targeted bonobo habitat areas, as well as the world’s first ever release of bonobos into the wild.