Among Chimpanzees: Field Notes from the Race to Save Our Endangered Relatives

Unbeknownst to much of the public, there is a looming crisis for Great Apes: chimps are extinct in four African countries and nearly so in twelve others. A large percentage of the remaining populations live in unprotected, increasingly fragmented African forests that are under siege. Veteran chimp researcher Nancy Merrick takes us from the early days of primate research, when wild chimpanzees were abundant and the world was spellbound by emerging details of their behavior, to today's critical conservation efforts. Along the way, Merrick demonstrates that the best hope for chimps and other Great Apes lies in connecting conservation to humanitarian efforts, ensuring a healthy future for animals and humans alike. Featuring fresh stories of the remarkable chimps and the inspirational work of today's leading conservationists, Among Chimpanzees will stir readers to care about the fate of our chimps--and to get involved in chimp conservation.