A new study of our two closest living relatives finds that, at least in zoos, bonobos may not be more peaceful than chimpanzees. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are only found south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where food is abundant and evenly distributed. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) range across West, Central and East Africa, where food can be variable and patchy. Different environmental pressures may have contributed to divergent social behavior between the closely related species. Chimpanzee societies are male-dominant, territorial, and marked by frequent aggression toward other groups. In bonobo societies, females often equal or outrank males, and they have a reputation for more peaceful intergroup relations. Bonobo females form coalitions to suppress male aggression. However, new findings are adding nuance: One recent comparative analysis challenged bonobos’ “hippy” image; and another recent paper documents the first known death of an infant bonobo resulting from an intergroup encounter. Building on this framework, Emile Bryon of Utrecht University in the Netherlands led a group of researchers in comparing aggression between chimpanzees and bonobos in zoos, where environmental conditions are more controlled. Their findings, published in Science Advances, compared behaviors such as chasing, hitting, wrestling and biting in nine groups of chimpanzees and 13 groups of bonobos housed in 16 European zoos. They found no difference in rates of overall aggression, or more severe contact aggression, between zoo-housed chimpanzees and bonobos. However, they did find species-level differences in who used aggression. Male chimpanzees were more aggressive than females, while bonobo males and females showed similar levels of aggressive behaviors. “Overall, our research paints a picture that matches the socio-ecology of both species; chimpanzee males are aggressive against all, whereas all bonobos are aggressive, but target mainly the males,” Bryon said in an email to Mongabay. “We also found it interesting that female-to-female aggression is generally low in both species. Because female bonobos dominate, and dominant individuals compete amongst each other for resources, one could expect aggression among bonobo females. But our study says otherwise,” Bryon said. Regardless of species, some zoo-housed groups were more aggressive than others, raising the question of why. Takeshi Furuichi, who wasn't involved with this study, is an emeritus professor at Kyoto University and author of another recent paper comparing aggression within groups of wild male chimpanzees and bonobos. He told Mongabay by email that “This study provides valuable comparative data on aggression in chimpanzees and bonobos under controlled conditions.” However, Furuichi suggested the findings should be interpreted with caution. He noted that the “present study is limited to behavior within single zoo groups” and that “a key basis for the view that chimpanzees are more aggressive than bonobos lies in intergroup male aggression, which is frequently observed in chimpanzees and can sometimes be lethal.” Banner image: Aggressive behavior by bonobos. Image by Nicky Staes (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Authorities in Malawi have credited stronger monitoring and border controls with effectively ending the smuggling of invasive crayfish into the country, nearly a year after a major seizure from neighboring Zambia. Davie Khumbanyiwa, the fisheries department officer responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance, said the department has increased inspections for redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), a species farmed in Zambia but native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. “Our monitoring now also includes fish farms along the borders, spot checks in markets and river systems that are within the catchments with Zambia,” Khumbanyiwa told Mongabay. He said Malawi is collaborating with authorities in Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. “Our intention is to make sure that we don’t have those exotic species here.”  Jeremiah Kang’ombe, a fisheries expert at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said strengthening border controls is key. “Our borders being porous, this is the first line of defense when it comes to smuggling of these alien species. It will ensure some biosafety measures are applied accordingly,” Kang’ombe told Mongabay. In May 2025, Malawian authorities arrested four people from Zambia carrying a quarter-ton of live redclaw, a violation of fisheries and environmental regulations. The contraband was incinerated and the smugglers fined and released. Since then, the Malawi fisheries department says, increased monitoring has not detected any more smuggled crayfish. One of the Zambians told investigators at the time that this was his second trip; earlier in 2025, he had brought 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of redclaw to a Chinese buyer. The seized 250 kg (550 lbs), for which the Zambians were to be paid $1,700, was also reportedly for a Chinese buyer for use in a Chinese restaurant. Environmentalists and fisheries experts said the fines, between $29 and $86, were too small to be a deterrent, and noted the Zambians could have been sentenced to a year in prison. “However, as department, we are somewhat satisfied that the Court upheld our request to destroy the contraband,” Maxon Ngochera, the senior deputy director of fisheries, told local media. Research shows redclaw were introduced to Zambia from Australia in the early 2000s for aquaculture. The crayfish are aggressive and prey on native fish and their eggs. They also reproduce quickly, outcompeting native species for food and shelter, and can carry pathogens that cause disease outbreaks in other species. A Malawi fisheries department report warned that if the crayfish gained a foothold in the country’s rivers and wetlands, it would damage ecosystems, communities and the economy. In a statement after the May 2025 seizure, the fisheries department said a crayfish infestation could lower fishery yields, economically harming the country’s estimated 82,000 fishers, plus the half-million people involved in processing and selling fish. “The decline of native fish populations due to invasive species would jeopardize these livelihoods and food security,” the department said. Banner image: Crayfish seized by officials in May 2025. Image courtesy of Malawi Department of Fisheries.

The International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the lending and investment arm of the U.S. government and a key foreign policy tool, has abruptly terminated the director of its Independent Accountability Mechanism (IAM), which handles complaints about environmental and social harm. The unexpected move leaves no staff in the congressionally mandated IAM office. Mehrdad Nazari was the IAM’s first director and had been in the position since 2024. He was informed by DFC lawyers in January that his term would not be extended past the end of February, though he was eligible for a five-year extension. Under Nazari, the IAM assessed complaints against DFC funding that included ExxonMobil’s multibillion-dollar Rovuma natural gas project in Mozambique. The DFC was created with bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress through 2018’s BUILD Act. Meant to counter the influence of Chinese state-issued debt, it invests in private sector projects that advance U.S. foreign policy goals, such as critical mineral extraction in the DRC. Its current portfolio is worth more than $40 billion, with an investment cap that was extended to $200 billion by Congress last year. The IAM assesses environmental, labor and human rights complaints against DFC-funded projects. In an interview with Mongabay, Nazari said senior lawyers at the DFC told him that his term would not be renewed because “every administration deserves to bring in their own guy.” Stephanie Amoako, policy director at the Washington, D.C.-based Accountability Council, said she was concerned the decision is a sign the DFC is pulling back on oversight of the projects it funds. “[Nazari] really ramped up the accountability mechanism’s work,” she told Mongabay. “It’s concerning that his term was not renewed, and it calls into question DFC’s commitment to having this independent governance tool.” While most of the DFC’s staff are civil servants, its CEO is appointed by the U.S. president. Nazari told Mongabay that after Trump took office, his requests to meet with officials to discuss ongoing IAM investigations went unanswered. “I have not received a single response to any of my emails from our political leadership over the past year,” he said. Nazari said last year he was prevented from flying to Mozambique to assess the impact of a proposal to resettle 10,000 people as part of natural gas extraction in the conflict-ridden north. The IAM’s investigation into sexual assault allegations at Bridge schools in Kenya has been stalled for nearly a year. Prior to the change in U.S. administrations, Nazari had two full-time staff members working with him, but as part of the 2025 purge of federal employees they elected to take voluntary buyouts. A spokesperson for the DFC confirmed Nazari’s termination and said it was currently “working to recruit and support a successor.” “I imagine my former position will be vacant for a considerable amount of time,” Nazari said. Banner image: Current Development Finance Corporation CEO Ben Black is greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House. Image courtesy of DFC.