Otto

While Otto is a main “character” of the story, he is also a symbol for the lives of the two young bonobos that die after Otto's rescue. Sophie buys Otto though it's strictly against her mother's policies. Her mother knows that buying any ape, even with the intention of rescuing it, only increasing the illegal poaching of the bonobos. The man who has Otto at the opening of the story shows up later with two more bonobos. Sophie later finds their bodies in the forest.

The Bonobos

The bonobos are apes with DNA that closely resembles that of humans. The bonobos are endangered in the Congo. Sophie's mother has established a sanctuary designed to help raise the youngsters in order to release them into a wild preserve in the region.

The Pagne

This is a cloth used by the women of the Congo as part of...