ASTUDENTOFAFRICANWILDLIFE

　　Itis5:45amandthesunisjustrisingoverGombeNationalParkinEastAfrica.FollowingJane'swayofstudyingchimps,ourgroupareallgoingtovisitthemintheforest.Janehasstudiedthesefamiliesofchimpsformanyyearsandhelpedpeopleunderstandhowmuchtheybehavelikehumans.Watchingafamilyofchimpswakeupisourfirstactivityoftheday.Thismeansgoingbacktotheplacewhereweleftthefamilysleepinginatreethenightbefore.Everybodysitsandwaitsintheshadeofthetreeswhilethefamilybeginstowakeupandmoveoff.Thenwefollowastheywanderintotheforest.Mostofthetime,chimpseitherfeedorcleaneachotherasawayofshowingloveintheirfamily.Janewarnsusthatourgroupisgoingtobeverytiredanddirtybytheafternoonandsheisright.However,theeveningmakesitallworthwhile.Wewatchthemotherchimpandherbabiesplayinthetree.Thenweseethemgotosleeptogetherintheirnestforthenight.Werealizethatthebondbetweenmembersofachimpfamilyisasstrongasinahumanfamily.

　　NobodybeforeJanefullyunderstoodchimpbehaviour.Shespentyearsobservingandrecordingtheirdailyactivities.Sinceherchildhoodshehadwantedtoworkwithanimalsintheirownenvironment.However,thiswasnoteasy.WhenshefirstarrivedinGombein1960,itwasunusualforawomantoliveintheforest.Onlyafterhermothercametohelpherforthefirstfewmonthswassheallowedtobeginherproject.Herworkchangedthewaypeoplethinkaboutchimps.Forexample,oneimportantthingshediscoveredwasthatchimpshuntandeatmeat.Untiltheneveryonehadthoughtchimpsateonlyfruitandnuts.Sheactuallyobservedchimpsasagrouphuntingamonkeyandtheneatingit.Shealsodiscoveredhowchimpscommunicatewitheachother,andherstudyoftheirbodylanguagehelpedherworkouttheirsocialsystem.

　　ForfortyyearsJaneGoodallhasbeenoutspokenaboutmakingtherestoftheworldunderstandandrespectthelifeoftheseanimals.Shehasarguedthatwildanimalsshouldbeleftinthewildandnotusedforentertainmentoradvertisements.Shehashelpedtosetupspecialplaceswheretheycanlivesafely.Sheisleadingabusylifebutshesays:"OnceIstop,itallcomescrowdinginandIrememberthechimpsinlaboratories.It'sterrible.ItaffectsmewhenIwatchthewildchimps.Isaytomyself,'Aren'ttheylucky?"AndthenIthinkaboutsmallchimpsincagesthoughtheyhavedonenothingwrong.Onceyouhaveseenthatyoucanneverforget..."

　　Shehasachievedeverythingshewantedtodo:workingwithanimalsintheirownenvironment,gainingadoctor'sdegreeandshowingthatwomencanliveintheforestasmencan.Sheinspiresthosewhowanttocheertheachievementsofwomen.