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Mahale
The steady chirping of
crickets on the trails of Mahale National Park creates a
living hum, like the engine of the forest. A bird
chitters unseen high in the treetops; their branches
forming a woven lacework of a ceiling. Vines cascade
from the trees to create a lush tunnel that arches over
and around the path. Other plants reach up from the
ground, gripping the vines to unknowingly build a solid
leaf wall. Some light manages to sift through and
illuminate the veins of the delicate leaf like a
butterfly’s wing. Emerging from the forest’s portal the
path unwinds in front of you; between interlocking tree
roots, down mossy builders and over a wooden bridge and
gurgling stream. The sound of wing beats and the cackle
of apassing bird draw attention upward to the canopy.
A fleeting glimpse of
the bird overhead dissolves into a rustle of leaves.
Nearby, a different tree also starts to shake. The
slender branches bowed under the weight of something
much sturdier than a bird. The trees shaking were
strong enough to unhinge a few leaves. A brief pause
allows one to see the shape of a hand very much like our
own curled around the small limb. A tiny pink face
peeps out from behind the clump of leaves high above.
Wide saucer shaped ears frame the chimpanzee’s face and
wiry black hair. Inquisitive soft brown eyes look down
from above to investigate the newcomers to the forest.
The inspection didn’t last long however, the small
chimp, a youngster, continues his game of bouncing on
the high springy branches. The baby is already a
skilled gymnast, using hands and feet to maneuver and
treating the forest like his own personal jungle gym,
these trees are his trampoline
Natural species like
this one is being lost as humans require more land and
resources. Wonderful wild places such as this chimp’s
home can only be preserved by respecting the environment
and its inhabitants. The only one who can protect this
chimp baby, his family, and other animals like him are
those people who are aware of the impact humans have on
the environment and care about making responsible
choices.
Gombe
People are moved to love
the chimpanzee with their soft, brown eyes and delicate
hands that are so like our own. However, knowledge and
understanding enhance the love and make it even more
drastically clear how amazing these animals are. Once
you can fathom the depths of their politics and culture,
they become all the more breathtaking. It is one thing
to see a powerful, strong animals and be awed by their
muscle. It is another to be able to briefly look into
their eyes and see intelligence and methodical decision
making taking place on the inside. This dynamic can be
seen all the time in social behavior, how the chimps
choose to react to one another.
In one instance, a young
chimp was stuck in a tree and was crying for help; the
older brother of this small baby ran over and lifted his
sibling in need to safely. Helping each other is rare
in a world dominated by survival of the fittest. This
quality of helping others, of helping family, is a
characteristic that links humans and the chimpanzee.
Researchers such as Jane Goodall at Gombe National Park
have worked diligently to expand the knowledge we have
about chimpanzees, deepen our understanding and also
increase our love for our closest genetic relative, the
chimpanzee.
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