
ONA014-00012
A portrait of Joel Sartore taken by Kanzi the Bonobo (Pan paniscus) at the Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative (ACCI) in Des Moines, Iowa.
Kanzi took the portrait with a remote trigger during a Photo Ark documentary series by Nat Geo Wild.
The Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative is the only research facility in North America to exclusively house and study bonobos. The Ape Initiative’s programs aim to enrich the lives of bonobos and increase awareness of bonobos and other great apes worldwide through responsible and sustainable research and conservation education. The Ape Initiative is situated on 230 acres in Des Moines, Iowa, USA – with over 6 acres of ape-accessible space. The Ape Initiative bonobos include the world-famous Kanzi, whose comprehension of spoken English and use of a lexigram keyboard has been well documented. All bonobos living at the Ape Initiative participate in a variety of husbandry activities as well as behavioral and cognitive research aimed at uncovering the evolutionary origins of human language, cognition, and behavior.
Keywords
- ACCI
- Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative
- black background
- Close-up
- Des Moines
- front view
- head and shoulders
- Iowa
- Joel Sartore
- mammal
- mini series
- on assignment
- one person
- Photo Ark
- photo shoot
- Portrait
- studio shot
- tv series
This photo © Joel Sartore 2023. Image usage guidelines

This photo is part of the Photo Ark.