Page 6 - Local Voices, Local Choices Excerpt

4 local voices, local choices
Zinda, a Gombe chimp using a modified stem to fish for termites. This behavior was Jane’s first breakthrough in observational research, and the first time western science was confronted with hard evidence of toolmaking and tool use amongst animals. Photo by Nick Riley, 2010.
individuals and their complex society, and the many ways their behavior resembles our own.
Soon Hugo and I began a small research station with student volun- teers to help collect information. We began employing local Tanzanians from the surrounding villages to help with the research. They got to know the chimpanzees and followed them through the forest, first with the vol- unteers but then on their own. I believed that once they realized how amazing these chimpanzees are, they would share the information in their villages and this would help people to better understand these human-like neighbors of theirs and thus prevent poaching. And, indeed, this proved to be the case.