Among the Great Apes
by Paul Raffaele
(Harper Collins, R150)
Nature journalist Raffaele risked life and limb to visit some of the world’s most unstable countries in a quest to find out the true situation of our endangered closest relatives – the great apes.
In his own words, after visiting the great apes, he relates: “The world’s disinterest in the deterio-rating fate of the great apes in the wild is hard for me to understand. Our closest kin, they have been mostly abandoned, left to their grim fate. We are privileged to have them among us, and yet the world community has placed their protection a long way down the list of global concerns.”
This is a “must read” for anyone who cares remotely about nature, as it gives an insight into the living circumstances of both humans and great apes living in today’s jungles.
The unfortunate condition in which the local people find them-selves directly affects the apes, their jungle neighbours.
Poverty caused by changing living conditions as a result of political upheaval, destabilises the delicate ecosystem.
The out-of-control logging trade carves up the last bastions of all forest animals and the growing demand for bush meat wipes out any creature which can be trapped or shot.
Anyone who comes into direct contact with these intelligent apes must marvel at their apparent humanity and uncanny closeness to ourselves. As researchers learn to communicate with them, we are beginning to realise how much we have underestimated their intelligence and ability to use tools.
It is only recently that scientists changed the definition of tool usage, which was thought to be the sole prerogative of humans.
We now know that most ape species use a range of tools for different applications in different regions.
If you find that travelling to the dangerous forests of Central Africa is not going to be high on your holiday agenda anytime soon, this book will bring you a vivid experience of what it is really like in the Equatorial forests.
Raffaele’s close encounters with all species of apes are truly fascinating, and you will find it difficult to put this book down once you start. As a journalist, Raffaele does not do badly at tabulating interesting scientific findings through the ages and recently discovered facts relating to life with the apes.
It is evident that our closest relatives in the wild are disap-pearing at an alarming rate, with 90 percent of some species disappearing over the last 20 years.
And all this is owing to our greed and our disregard for our ecosystems.
Governments, which could create national parks to protect the last remaining great apes, do not see any reason to save them from imminent extinction – choosing to line their Swiss bank accounts with crude oil dollars and blood money accrued from massive logging operations, while their own poorer rural people are forced to eke out an existence alongside the loggers’ tracks.
So next time you buy some hard wood furniture, spare a thought for our last great apes.