Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Anthropogenic impacts on the natural world have been farreaching.We are facing the collapse of climate and ecological systems, along with the potential loss of millions of species (IPBES, 2019), including many threatened and endangered apes.Historically, apes and humans had limited contact; however, now more than 70% of apes live outside protected areas, which means that many of them will interact with humans in some capacity.These 2 books explore the many ways in which apes and humans interact and the complexities of these interactions.The savanna chimpanzees featured in Apes on the Edge coexist with humans in a way that is not commonly seen in the well-studied forest-dwelling chimpanzees, and State of the Apes emphasizes the importance of peaceful coexistence between humans and apes.However, ape-human interactions come with risks to both parties, including stress or harm to the animals, possible disease transmission, competition for resources, and crop raiding.Whether the shared coexistence is through scientific research, human-wildlife conflict, or in a captive setting, both books explore ways to improve outcomes for apes and the humans living alongside them.Apes on the Edge: provides an engaging and informative overview of Dr. Jill Pruetz's work on the Fongoli Savannah Chimpanzee Project in Senegal.Despite chimpanzees being some of the most well-studied mammals-researchers have accumulated more than 500 years of observer effort studying chimpanzees (p.7)-most of this work was on forest-dwelling chimpanzees.Pruetz shows us that we still have a lot to learn, particularly about savanna-living chimpanzees.From hunting bush babies (Galago senegalensis) with sticks to using caves and watering holes to cool off in the extreme heat, Pruetz guides us through her team's unexpected discoveries about these "apes on the edge."She consistently reminds the reader that many of these unique behaviors can be attributed to their extreme
Source: Conservation Biology
DOI: 10.1111/cobi.70170
Author: Dena J. Clink
Institutions: Cornell University, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Language: English
Topic: Primate Behavior and Ecology
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4416536633