Lou Grossfeldt has always wanted to work with animals. Today she is one of Australia's leading experts on primate husbandry and care. Lou has spent more than two decades working to help save our primate family from extinction, and today she supervises the African primate division at Taronga Zoo which includes managing some of mankind's closest relatives, the Chimpanzees and Gorillas. In this book Our Primate Family, Lou shares her remarkable stories with awardwinning writer David Blissett. You'll travel from the stunning rainforests of Borneo and Vietnam, to the vanishing wilderness of Madagascar and Uganda, then to one of the world's most iconic zoos. You'll read about the refugees of the forest and meet some notable members of the family: mighty Kibabu, lover of lettuce and waterfowl; Sonny, Sydney's own snow monkey; Willow, shy, beautiful, and with a fire-fighting fixation; and Lubutu, the wisest, most judicious of them all. Lou offers insight into the plight facing primates in the wild. They are a group of animals more like us than any other. They are beautiful, enigmatic, often misunderstood. They are our biological family, and many of them are in trouble. Lou shares some practical advice each of us can follow to help make a tangible difference to the survival of these amazing animals.
Amanka is a word from one of the languages used by people living in the rural north west of Uganda. It’s a beautiful, rich word that means ‘family’. Yet, in the forests and villages of this part of Uganda – and across much of tropical Africa and Asia – families are at war. In the narrowing margins between forest and farm, human and non-human, there is a growing conflict. A deadly conflict. The Amanka Book Project has been coordinated by writer, David Blissett and primate curator, Lou Grossfeldt. They celebrate our closest living relatives, by sharing the stories and experiences of the people who are working, fighting, and sometimes risking their lives to save them. The focus is on all ape species (gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee, bonobo and the gibbon family). These are stories of sacrifice and courage and hope; tears and happiness; love and loss. In each chapter, Lou and David speak with people who devote their lives to the conservation and wellbeing of the apes. This includes scientists, researchers, caregivers, vets, filmmakers and conservation advocates. Many of the stories in this book have never been told before and will give readers a direct insight into the day-to-day heartaches, challenges and joys of working with these intelligent, sentient beings. ‘We wrote this book to raise awareness of the plight of our ape family and to share the stories of the unsung heroes who are trying to help them. All contributors have donated to this project and profits from book sales will be donated to various ape conservation and enrichment programs or projects’ - Lou Grossfeldt and David Blissett.
Amanka is a word from one of the languages used by people living in the rural north west of Uganda. It’s a beautiful, rich word that means ‘family’. Yet, in the forests and villages of this part of Uganda – and across much of tropical Africa and Asia – families are at war. In the narrowing margins between forest and farm, human and non-human, there is a growing conflict. A deadly conflict. The Amanka Book Project has been coordinated by writer, David Blissett and primate curator, Lou Grossfeldt. They celebrate our closest living relatives, by sharing the stories and experiences of the people who are working, fighting, and sometimes risking their lives to save them. The focus is on all ape species (gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee, bonobo and the gibbon family). These are stories of sacrifice and courage and hope; tears and happiness; love and loss. In each chapter, Lou and David speak with people who devote their lives to the conservation and wellbeing of the apes. This includes scientists, researchers, caregivers, vets, filmmakers and conservation advocates. Many of the stories in this book have never been told before and will give readers a direct insight into the day-to-day heartaches, challenges and joys of working with these intelligent, sentient beings. ‘We wrote this book to raise awareness of the plight of our ape family and to share the stories of the unsung heroes who are trying to help them. All contributors have donated to this project and profits from book sales will be donated to various ape conservation and enrichment programs or projects’ - Lou Grossfeldt and David Blissett.
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