For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by nonhuman great apes. For a time it was just an interest that added to my overall identity – like how some people like owls, or koala bears, or unicorns.
I admired “Leakey’s Ladies” – Dian Fosey, Jane Goodall, and Birute Gladikas – and daydreamed about following in their footsteps.
In truth, though, my fascination came prior to developing a true understanding and compassion for nonhuman apes. It was just an intense curiosity.
They are, after all, so familiar in some ways.
So like humans, yet different – exotic
Luckily, I happened upon the right people at the right time and was ready to rethink this fascination and the historical relationship that humans have had to other apes.
Human curiosity can lead to a lot of destruction when it is not balanced with compassion.
Now I wonder what the world would be like today if humans weren’t so curious about other species. What if we just left them alone instead of bringing them into our world to study them and then use them for our own benefit?
We can’t go backwards, though. The human world has clashed and combined and intertwined with the worlds of other animals. So there are places like Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, where we try to make up for wrongs committed against other species, and we try to demonstrate and spread compassion for our closest living relatives, and for other nonhuman animals too.
Our curiosity is just as strong, if not stronger, but hopefully compassion combined with fascination makes for a more hopeful future for all species who share this planet.
I was asked today what my fascination was with these great apes. I could only say that they are our cousins and so much like us but not. They are intelligent and they have feelings and they love. They communicate, make tools, reason. They are fur people that is all. If we could have left them alone they would be just fine.
I look forward to my trip to Africa in July and being with researchers for a day following a wild community of chimps. I believe it is about 12 hours of being in the forest with them. It will be wonderful to see how the act compared to the captive ones I will be with for two days on Ngamba Island.
Your trip sounds so fantastic, Stephanie!
Diana — As I say (repeatedly), the work you and the other good sanctuaries do is tikkun olam, a Hebrew phrase that means healing the world.
Thanks, Amy 🙂
Wonderful post!!
Thank you, Jackie!
This was beautiful Diana. You are a new generation of “Leakey’s Ladies” and just as inspiring. I am sure the nonhuman great apes are happy you followed in these ladies footsteps.
Thanks, Kathleen. I wonder if that makes J.B. a new generation of “Leakey’s Gentlemen”? 🙂
Diana, that was so beautifully put ! I’d like to see many more people read that & truely think about it. I, too, am a huge fan of “Leakey’s Ladies”! My dream is to meet Dr. Jane Goodall. She’s been my hero since I was a little girl. Now I’ve struck a sort of e-mail pal with Dr. Birute. She always answers me back & retweets some of my posts. So of course now I want to go to her Sanctuary for Orangutans. Hope I get the chance one day.
I hope you get the chance too! Life is too short not to follow at least some of your dreams. It’s so incredibly sad to think about the situation for orangutans right now with humans unrelentingly destroying their habitat. I so admire those who are working to try to reverse this and caring for the orphans and displaced adults too.
Diana, how awesome that you are following in the footsteps of those that you admire, and following your own dream in the process, and making such a difference, all at the same time.
It’s funny – I don’t think most people end up quite where they thought they would, and I’m no exception. My real inspiration these days comes from all of the sanctuary supporters who make this possible and who care so much.