A Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden worker's thumb was partially amputated after a bonobo attacked during morning feeding Friday, the zoo said.
The bonobo bit through a protective mesh barrier as the primate care worker was giving food and medicine to the animals during morning rounds, the zoo said.
The zoo emphasized that it happened "behind the scenes" at its Jungle Trails habitat, which it said last year is home to 10 bonobos.
The Jungle Trails habitat was closed for the day but was scheduled to reopen Saturday, a zoo spokesperson said.
The primates share 98.7 of their DNA with humans, making them our closest relative in the animal kingdom, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Persons:
Gilda
Organizations:
Cincinnati Zoo, International Union for Conservation of, Resources, Democratic, Conservation Initiative, World Wildlife Fund
Locations:
Democratic Republic of the Congo