Apes on the Edge - (Animal Lives) by Jill Pruetz (Paperback)

About the Book

"Fongoli chimpanzees are unique for many reasons. Their female hunters are the only apes that regularly hunt with tools (tiny bush babies with wooden spears). Unlike most other chimps, these apes fear neither water nor fire, using shallow pools to cool off in the Senegalese heat. More than ninety percent of their home range burns annually-the result of human hunting or clearing for gold mining-and these apes have learned to predict the movement of such fires and to avoid them. The study of Fongoli chimps is also unique; while most primate research occurs in isolated reserves, Fongoli chimpanzees live alongside humans. As primatologist and anthropologist Jill Pruetz reports, this shared habitat creates both challenges and opportunities. The issues faced by Fongoli chimpanzees-particularly food scarcity and environmental degradation-are also issues faced by people living alongside them. This connection is one reason Pruetz, who has studied Fongoli apes for over two decades, created the non-profit Neighbor Ape in 2008 to help provide for the welfare of humans and their shared animal community. It is also why Pruetz decided to write this book, which is the first to offer readers a view of these chimps' lives and to explain specific conservation efforts needed to help them. Incorporating stories from her field work, including a compelling rescue mission of a young chimp from hunters, this book will be fascinating to anyone interested in animals and conservation"--

Book Synopsis

A moving story of survival and an eye-opening introduction to an extraordinary community of chimps and people.

Fongoli chimpanzees are unique for many reasons. Their female hunters are the only apes that regularly hunt with tools, seeking out tiny bush babies with wooden spears. Unlike most other chimps, these apes fear neither water nor fire, using shallow pools to cool off in the Senegalese heat. Up to 90 percent of their home range burns annually--the result of human hunting or clearing for gold mining--and Fongoli chimpanzees have learned to predict the movement of such fires and to avoid them.

The study of Fongoli chimps is also unique. While most primate research occurs in isolated reserves, Fongoli chimpanzees live alongside humans, and as primatologist and anthropologist Jill Pruetz reports, this shared habitat creates both challenges and opportunities. The issues faced by Fongoli chimpanzees--particularly food scarcity and environmental degradation--are also issues faced by their human neighbors. This connection is one reason Pruetz, who has studied Fongoli apes for over two decades, created the nonprofit Neighbor Ape in 2008 to provide for the welfare of the humans who share their landscape with apes. It is also why Pruetz decided to write this book, the first to offer readers a view of these chimps' lives and to explain the specific conservation efforts needed to help them. Incorporating stories from Pruetz's time in the field, including the compelling rescue of a young chimp from poachers, Apes on the Edge opens a fascinating window into primate research, conservation, and the inner workings of a very special population of our closest nonhuman relatives.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating narrative of chimpanzee behavior and ecology in an unusual habitat--the hot savanna--written by the world's leading researcher on this topic. Pruetz interweaves her pioneering studies with detail from her own personal journey for a compelling, fun read."--Jessica M. Rothman, coeditor of "How Primates Eat"

"Pruetz's passion for her work, the chimpanzees, and the local community come through so clearly in Apes on the Edge. This captivating book will appeal greatly to the scientific community as well as the lay reader interested in chimpanzees, animal behavior, and conservation."--Lydia M. Hopper, coeditor of "Chimpanzees in Context" and "Chimpanzee Memoirs"

About the Author

Jill Pruetz is professor of anthropology at Texas State University. She has studied primates in Kenya, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, and Peru, and, since 2001, has been the principal investigator of the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project in Senegal. She is the author of The Socioecology of Adult Female Patas Monkeys and Vervets in Kenya as well as the children's book You Can Be a Primatologist.