Animal Planet: Welcome to our live chat and thank you for joining us. You may have heard of Dr. Goodall and her famous chimps, but how much do you really know about her work and what she has learned over the past 40 years observing and studying the chimps of Gombe? Well, Dr. Jane Goodall is here to answer your questions.
Dr. Goodall: Hello everyone!
SUSU: When you're at Gombe, what's your day like?
Dr. Goodall: In the old days, my day used to start before it was light, and I'd be out in the forest all day until darkness watching chimpanzees and following them. I'd take maybe a handful of raisins in my pocket for me to eat. I never carried water &$151 I didn't need it, and there are streams. Today, I only get back for 2-3 days at a time, and I hope I'll find chimpanzees in the forest. But the most important thing is to be out in the forest by myself. I nearly always find Fifi. Fifi was an infant when I arrived in 1960, and she's my oldest chimpanzee friend at Gombe.
BelZZ: What's a typical chimp day like?
Dr. Goodall: There isn't really a typical chimp day. They vary enormously from one day to another. Sometimes the chimps travel in a huge group, lots of excitement, males displaying at each other, young ones playing. Sometimes a chimp travels by itself. Sometimes there's a lot of excitement with hunting of monkeys, etc. or a boundary patrol. Sometimes it's just peacefully wandering from one food patch to another. And there's also a difference, depending on your sex, age, and personality.
Jason: How do chimps communicate? Do they have their own language?
Dr. Goodall: They communicate with a wide range of postures and gestures as well as sounds. In captivity, they can be taught American Sign Language (ASL), and can learn more than 500 signs. They can communicate with each other as well as their teacher. But in the wild, it seems they have nothing that is similar to sophisticated human spoken language.
Cindy B: What's the difference between a chimpanzee and a monkey?
Dr. Goodall: Chimpanzees are apes, one of four great apes. The great apes are chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, all in Africa, and the orangutan in Asia. Chimpanzees are genetically more like humans than they are like gorillas, and all the great apes are much more like people than monkeys. Monkeys have tails!
Shezira: How long do chimpanzees live?
Dr. Goodall: The oldest on record is said to be over 70, and he is said to be the original chimp Cheetah from Johnny Weissmuller's "Tarzan"! At Gombe, the oldest looking chimps are probably just over 50, but we don't know yet. Fifi does not look old, and she is about 45.
Randy: Can you tell us a bit about your Roots & Shoots program, and how we can participate?
Dr. Goodall: First of all, let me suggest that you look up our website, www.janegoodall.org. There's a big exciting section on Roots & Shoots. Basically, it's a symbolic name. Roots make a firm foundation; shoots seem tiny, but to reach the light they can break through a brick wall. Imagine the brick wall as all the problems, both environmental and social, that humans have inflicted on the planet. Roots & Shoots is a program of hope. Hundreds and thousands of Roots & Shoots around the world can break through the brick wall and make a better world. Every Roots & Shoots group tackles three different kids of problems: first, to show care and concern for their human community; second for animals, including domestic animals; and third, for the environment. The kind of project they do will depend on the problems around them, whether they live in an inner city or a rural area, and will depend on their age. We have programs for pre-school right through university. We even have groups forming in offices, prisons, and senior citizens homes. It will depend on your country. We now have groups in over 80 countries around the world. The most important message of Roots & Shoots is that every individual matters and makes a difference every day. So to sum it up, it's empowering youth to take compassionate action to make the world a better place.
