CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF KANZI

Please join us in honoring the life of the remarkable bonobo, Kanzi! 

Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 5-8 PM
Science Center of Iowa
401 W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Des Moines, IA 50309

A celebration of life (The Kanzi Memorial) will be followed by a reception with scientific poster presentations and an array of small plates from The Tangerine Food Co (The Kanzi Conference). Beverages will be available for purchase throughout the event. Join us for an evening of heartwarming reflections, transformative research, and delicious bites, as we honor Kanzi’s legacy and give thanks for all that he has done for the world. We hope to see you at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines on November 8th!

For Attendees
If you are interested in attending Kanzi’s Celebration of Life, but are not presenting a registered poster, please purchase a Kanzi Memorial Ticket. This ticket permits attendance to both the memorial and conference reception.

For Presenters
If you are a researcher or animal care professional that is presenting a poster, please purchase a Conference Registration Ticket, instead of a Memorial Ticket, and be sure to register your poster abstract below. This ticket permits attendance to both the memorial and conference reception. Poster registrations must be submitted by October 24, 2025 to receive full consideration.

Ape Initiative has partnered with Surety Hotel in Des Moines on a discounted room rate for the event weekend. The Surety Hotel is a 10-minute drive from the Des Moines International Airport and is 0.3 miles from the Science Center of Iowa, where Kanzi’s Celebration of Life will be held. Please click below to reserve your hotel room. This room rate cannot be booked through Expedia or other third-parties. All reservations must be made by October 24, 2025.

Please reach out to us at info@apeinitiative.org with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you on November 8th at the Science Center of Iowa!

Thank you for your support of Kanzi and his bonobo family at Ape Initiative 💛

Kanzi’s Celebration of Life is made possible by:

KANZI’S NIGHT AT BIG GROVE BREWERY

Join Ape Initiative at Big Grove Brewery in Des Moines for KANZI’S NIGHT on Friday, November 7th at 6 PM! Stop by to meet our team, learn about endangered apes, bid on silent auction items, and purchase one-of-a-kind art made by the bonobos that live right here in Des Moines. We are so grateful to Big Grove for hosting this event and for donating $1 from every specialty drink purchased to the care of Kanzi’s bonobo family! We hope to see you there!

If you would like to make a donation in honor of Kanzi, please click the Honoring Kanzi button.

KANZI

Kanzi was a superstar. He was born to Lorel on October 28th, 1980, and was adopted by Matata when he was 6 months old. Kanzi was Elikya and Maisha’s adopted brother, and Nyota and Teco’s uncle. Kanzi is regarded as the first great ape to demonstrate an understanding of spoken English. Kanzi comprehended novel sentences and combined lexigram symbols to describe new objects and foods. He enjoyed playing water-chase, tickling with his pals Teco and Clara, and using his lexigram keyboard to ask his caregivers for his favorite foods - bananas, grapes, eggs, and peanuts. Kanzi was truly one-of-a-kind!

KANZI’S TRANSFORMATION

Sadly, due to years of mismanagement by the previous organization, Kanzi became severely overweight. When Ape Initiative took over the care of Kanzi and his bonobo family, we made it a priority to improve the bonobos’ welfare. We started Kanzi on a species appropriate diet and increased his opportunities for physical activity, leading to his tremendous transformation - losing over 75 pounds! We are so proud of Kanzi’s progress and are committed to informing and improving the welfare of bonobos worldwide.