Great Ape Odyssey

About This Book

Overview: Early in her career in the late 1960s, Birute Galdikas was handpicked, along with Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fossey, by the renowned paleontologist Louis Leakey to go out into the world and study the great apes. She went on to dedicate her life to observing orangutans in their natural habitat and has become one of the world's leading authorities on orangutans. "I had reached the point where it was hard for me to see the differences between apes and humans," Galdikas once admitted on a 48 Hours television special. Here the famed primatologist and author of Orangutan Odyssey explores each of the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees-including bonobos-and orangutans), interpreting the latest research and describing relationships among the different species-all in the context of the mounting threat of extinction. The 125 up-close images by internationally renowned wildlife photographer Karl Ammann illustrate the behaviors of these intriguing, humanlike animals. The result is a compelling overview of what we have learned about these fascinating creatures and, in turn, what they can teach us about ourselves.