Explore the Life of Animals

I started living with and studying chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania in 1960, and spent over 40 years working with them. I was born in 1934 in England and loved animals from a young age. One time, I waited five hours in a chicken coop to see a chicken lay an egg. My family thought I was missing and even called the police! I always dreamed of living with animals in Africa. When I first arrived at the Gombe chimpanzee reserve to study chimpanzees, many people said I wouldn’t last long. They thought a young, unmarried woman like me wouldn’t be able to stay in the African jungle. For the first few days, I didn’t see any chimpanzees because they are very shy and careful. But I waited patiently every day, and slowly, the chimpanzees started to come closer to me. Sometimes, we groomed each or even hold hands. Living with them helped me watch their lives very closely. I learned that chimpanzees live in groups, talk to each other, and feel emotions, just like people. I also discovered that chimpanzees, who were once thought to be herbivores, hunt and even  ① . One day, I observed a chimpanzee using a stick to fish for termites. This showed that chimpanzees, like humans, can use ② . It changed the belief that only humans can use tools. Unfortunately, the number of chimpanzees is going down quickly because of forest destruction and poaching. I now work to protect chimpanzees and give talks to help people care more about nature. If you recycle, don’t waste food, and love animals, you are helping chimpanzees stay on Earth with us for a long time. I am a British zoologist and environmentalist, often called ‘the mother of the chimpanzees.’ Who am I? ③