KEN BOHN / San Diego Zoo Makasi, a 4-year-old bonobo, provides a helping hand to Mali, his 14-month-old cousin.

SAN DIEGO – Bonobo cousins Makasi and Mali bonded Friday as they checked out visitors at the San Diego Zoo.

Mali, who is 14 months old, and her half-brother, Tutapenda, who is almost 1 year old, have been raised since birth by keepers at the zoo, but are now getting to know the zoo's bonobo society.

Tutapenda was rejected by his mother shortly after birth, and Mali had medical complications when she was born.

Makasi, who is 4 years old, is often seen carrying the two youngsters in the morning in the bonobo exhibit, zoo officials said.

Bonobos are members of the great ape family, along with gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees, according to the zoo's Web site. Also known as pygmy chimpanzees, bonobos are more slender than chimps and have smaller heads and ears, with parted hair on their head.

They are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country in central Africa formerly known as Zaire, and are considered the most endangered of the great apes, according to the zoo.

The San Diego Zoological Society has bred bonobos since 1960 and continues to fund their conservation efforts in the wild.