NATURE introduces you to the unsung heroes in our history in Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History.
The history of chimps in our society is a history unlike any other. We have sent them into space, dressed them in costumes and demanded that they entertain us. Some have been adopted into human families until they “outgrew” their cuteness, many have been used to test our drugs or to help develop our vaccines, others have been infected with our most frightening diseases. While we are mesmerized by their likeness to our species and we have continually found uses for chimps, we never considered what they wanted or needed.
But their side of the story is starting to emerge. And it can be heard at the sanctuaries where many retired chimps now reside. It can be read in their medical records, seen in their mutilated bodies, or sensed through their psychological afflictions. We’ve had a conflicted relationships with chimps in our society but there are some people who want to simplify it. Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History will introduce you to the rescuers at sanctuaries like Fauna Foundation, Save the Chimps, Center for Great Apes. And they are determined to see that the traumatized residents they have saved from a life of confinement and suffering can finally be allowed to feel like chimps.
Update (January 2008): Under a new bill, called the Chimp Haven is Home Act, retired chimpanzees living at Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana would not be able to be removed for medical research. President Bush must sign the bill for it to become law. The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, deletes a provision in standing law that would allow such removal. The CHIMP Act of 2000 established the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary System for chimpanzees retired from use in research. Chimp Haven operates this sanctuary system through a public-private partnership. “The chimpanzees at Chimp Haven have spent their lives in research laboratories helping to improve the lives of all Americans,” McCrery said. “Many of our discoveries in space and medicine are due to chimpanzees. I am proud to help modify the existing law to ensure chimpanzees at Chimp Haven will spend their final years happily.
To order a copy of Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History was originally posted November 2006.
All this speciesistic talking makes me sick! A chimp is an animal like all the others and no human being! It is the dog who saves human life during catastrophes and not the chimp! I can’t understand why people don’t see that this obnoxious canibalistic freak has nothing to do with a human being! The so-called 98 dna pct theory was a fraud by a famous evolutionist! I don’t jump on the goodall bandwagon! This woman is a member of Heifer and telling around that people should eat goats instead of chimps! This is not animal protection but ugly speciesism! pampering chimps in Africa has become modern while african people who never saw pampers in their life are starving together with their children! It is more than ridiculous to cherish these freaks instead of giving the bananas to the hungry children! A human being is a human being and an animal is an animal which deserves to die in dignity – but every animal – not just chimps because it’s modern for the moment! People always want to find some new thrills – and for now it’s the chimp! Dogs, cats, cows and horses are not thrilling enough – it has to be something exotic – even if it’s a freak! Since Goodall showed me her real face of speciesism I have also become a speciesist – and I prefer human beings, dogs, cows, horses, birds and cats!!! African people always hunted chimps, especially pygmys! It is not up to us to teach them what they have to eat! And if today some speciesists are proclaiming that the chimp as our ‘closest relative’ is a bad role model in vivisection – why in God’s name should then other animals BE a role model! This does make no sence at all!
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i would like to work with chimpanzees cause i love chimps so much i want to learn how work with them call me at 2678880786
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And so the Chinaman and the bro’ from da’ hood were walking along the lake shore. The Chinaman picked up a smooth stone and skipped it across the water and the stone hit the water three times and the lake said “Pong Ling Mao” and the black man asked the Chinaman what it was. The Chinaman said it was a magic lake and by skipping a stone across it, the lake would tell you the name of your grandfather. The black man skipped a stone over the lake and it went “CHIM – PAN – ZEE”! LOL…
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To Mister Jingles: I fully agree with you! Chimps are not precious, adorable,cute,or loving! The infants and young are1 But along comes the ages of 4,5, and they become vicious,hard to manage, and have very nasty behaviors .God gave us dominion over the animals, but not the right of extinction!!
By the comments, there are many different thoughts about the Chimps. I for one feel compassion for animals used, at times painfully, in labs while confined for life. That just seems like cruel and unusal punishment for them. I’m proud their are some people who also care and feel and I’m so happy they have helped the animals and raised public awareness.