Bridging the chasm: helping people and the environment across Africa.

When I first went to Africa to study chimpanzees I had to learn to look at the world--as best as I could--through their eyes. I came to realize that we humans are not separated from the rest of the animal kingdom that there is not an unbridgeable chasm between us and them. The chimpanzees reach out across this perceived chasm and demand that we accept them into our world or that we join them in theirs. They have taught us that we are not the only beings on this planet with personalities minds and above all emotions. Once we admit that we are indeed a part of the animal kingdom we will have a new respect for the other amazing animals with whom we share the planet. And we become increasingly shocked when we look around the planet and see what we have done to the environment. We see that our actions have destroyed the homes and the fives of countless millions of animals. And we are ashamed and shocked when we think of the way that we treat so many animals in our daily lives (excerpt)