| Orangutans and Humans, cont'd |
| A (cont'd): During my trip, Princess took a piece of a wooden shingle and split it into a long slender stick. She handed it to me and pulled me to the door of a pantry and with primitive sign language, indicated she wanted me to open the door. She repeated this a half dozen times [after] I told her I couldn't do what she wanted. She insisted that her "adopted daddy" could help her steal bananas. Q: What do you love most about orangutans? A: I view orangutans like an extended family. I see them as unique individuals with their own personalities, sentient and intelligent, a part of the richness of the living world. My bonds with Princess are personal and I know that as a human, I care about her more than she cares about me--but that is as it should be since she is an orangutan. Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share? A: I want to make sure that orangutans will always have forests in which to live and that humans will come to understand that we all have an obligation to share the planet with orangutans and other animals. This is why I have helped create the Orangutan Foundation International. It is vital that young people become involved in making a difference, through organizations and on their own. [You can] visit our website at www.orangutan.org to learn more about orangutans and what you can do. [transcript ends here] Orangutans, our tree-dwelling fellow primates, are a wonderful, irreplaceable link in our planet's ecology. You can learn more about them at Dr. Shapiro's website, and about other great apes at the following links: The Jane Goodall Institute (for information on chimpanzees) The Gorilla Foundation (for information on gorillas, especially Koko, one special ape who speaks through American Sign Language). And, if you happen to be in the Kansas City, Missouri area, check out The Kansas City Zoo in Swope Park. It's a wonderful zoo with great gorilla, orangutan and chimpanzee exhibits open to the public year round. (C) 2002 Jennifer L. Nielsen All Rights Reserved |