Conversation with Gypsy the Cat: On Becoming Human
Gypsy: I see that you have been reading Jane Goodall’s Reason for Hope-A Spiritual
Journey and Vaness Woods’ Bonobo Handshake.
Paul: Yes, both authors have studied primates. Jane Goodall is a champion of animal rights
and best known for her observation and work with chimpanzees in the wild. Vanessa Woods
worked with her husband doing research with the Bonobo monkey in sanctuaries. If I’m
correct, Goodall was the first researcher who observed that chimps and animals in general
make and use tools. Previously, we thought humans were differentiated from animals by their
use of tools.
Gypsy: Are you saying that humans aren’t part of the animal world?
Paul: Well, of course not, I was just saying that it was thought that humans were the only
“animal” that makes and uses tools.
Gypsy: I didn’t mean to get your feathers ruffled, so to speak, but you seem to be putting
humans in a separate class of sentient beings.
Paul: I’m sorry, I’ve just had a few difficult days and I’m tired and irritable. My car needs
some major repairs and I hope the insurance will pay for them. The mice have been eating
the wiring and other plastic parts in my car. Apparently plastic in cars is now food grade
plastic and quite tasty!
Gypsy: There was no offense intended. You are already forgiven. Perhaps humans could be
differentiated from other animals by their moods?
Paul: Now you are kidding me I think.
Gypsy: I’m just trying to get you in a better mood. Now tell me more about Jane Goodall’s
and Vanessa Woods’ revelations.
Paul: Based on Goodall’s observations, we, and I’m speaking of homo sapiens here, need to
redefine what it means to be human or else we would have to accept that chimpanzees, who
share our tool making and tool using ability, are also human.
Gypsy: That would either bring humans down to the level of other animals, or other animals
up to the level of humans, wouldn’t it.
Paul: Yes, your conclusion would be correct, but I’m afraid we look at things from a more
anthropocentric view of humans being superior to other animals.
Gypsy: I am a little confused with your views. Don’t humans share 99 percent of the genes
that chimpanzees and bonobos have?
Paul: Well, yes. And we also share some of the DNA of a banana.
Gypsy: Life as we know it has a common ancestor that is about 3 ½ billion years old. So all
life on our planet shares this genetic connection.
Paul: What I found interesting in these two books is how similar yet different these two apes
are and what it may portend for humans. Chimpanzees, bonobos and humans diverged from
a common lineage some 6 milllion years ago I believe.
Gypsy: You are correct. The main difference between humans and the other great apes
seems to be that humans have 23 chromosome pairs and other apes 24.
Paul: We have a lot to learn, not only about other primates, but also about humans and why
we act the way we do. Both these apes are threatened by a number of factors including loss
of habitat, hunting, and capture of young apes to sell, often when the mother is killed.
Gypsy: Please go on.
Paul: What is really interesting is that even though chimpanzees and bonobos look very
similar, they are very different in the way they act and research shows that these differences
in behavior are genetically wired so to speak.
Gypsy: And how does all this relate to our discussion of being human?
Paul: So, what we consider human traits, both good and bad, didn’t just spring up with
humans, they are part of our ancestry shared with the other apes.
Gypsy: Now this is getting interesting. If humans share many of the same traits as well as
genes, then they may not be so very different, is that correct?
Paul: Yes, indeed, we share very much in common with these two groups of apes. Bonobos
display many of the same emotions that humans do when faced with loss. At the death of a
fellow bonobo monkey, Vanessa observed that one bonobo tried to protect the body from the
caretakers by laying on top and preventing the removal of the body. These individuals also
displayed what we might call grief or depression following the death of a loved one for days at
a time.
Gypsy: What did researchers learn about the difference between these two groups?
Paul: This is what is really interesting and leads one to speculate about humans and perhaps
the mess that we are in. If bonobo monkeys have a motto, it would be: make love not war.
They engage in a variety of sexual activities, not all leading to orgasm. Very young bonobo
monkeys have a high level of testosterone. Bonobos welcome new members while
chimpanzees react much differently to a new monkey or even a picture of one.
Gypsy: Go on.
Paul: The researchers could measure the reaction of these apes by reading the brain activity
through the ear opening using an infrared thermometer. Bonobo monkeys exhibit much more
curiosity to an unfamiliar monkey and react in a different way. Chimpanzee exhibit much
more of an “us and them attitude” toward strangers while bonobos welcome them.
Gypsy: This might explain why humans have difficulty accepting others who are different in
some way, like immigrants coming into the country.
Paul: Yes, in some ways we are much more like the chimpanzee.
Gypsy: And what do you think might explain this difference since the two apes are very
similar.
Paul: It could just be the environment they grew up in. Bonobo monkeys had more available
food, so there was little competition. A young bonobo will take food out of the mouth of an
adult. Adult bonobos will allow a youngster to feed first while the opposite is true for
chimpanzees where males are dominant.
Gypsy: So how does this bode for the future of humans?
Paul: This is what Goodall ponders in her book. Her hope is that humans can rise above our
baser instincts of selfishness and competition. The one thing that bonobo monkeys are good
at is cooperating. They will work together so that all will benefit from a given situation. We
are realizing that we live on a very small planet and what one person does or one nation does
effects the whole world.
Gypsy: Don’t you think that someone should tell President Trump about this? What about the
America First Doctrine that he promotes.
Paul: I don’t want to discuss politics here, although we need a change in political structure if
we are to survive our present crisis. I guess it comes down to who is in charge; who has the
power.
Gypsy: Right now, animals don’t have much say in what is happening in the world.
Paul: We can include the many millions of humans as well.
Gypsy: I sense that you feel very frustrated by the current events of the world.
Paul: I wish there was more that we could do as humans to change this path that we are on.
Gypsy: What does Goodall say in her book? After all the title suggests that there is reason
for hope.
Paul: You are correct. Our transformation to becoming truly human involves a spiritual journey
and this begins with teaching our children and ourselves the importance of preserving our
world and all it creatures. Saving the world means saving ourselves!
Gypsy: Go on please.
Paul: Goodall helped found the Jane Goodall Institute to help raise awareness of the plight of
chimpanzees and other animals in Africa as well as the conditions in captivity especially in
research centers. She began traveling and lecturing all over the world and soon realized that
young people from kindergarten to college age needed a program to empower them to take
action. She began the Roots and Shoots, a hands-on educational program. You can look up
what she is doing at https://www.janegoodall.org/
Gypsy: Good to know that there are such dedicated humans who recognize other species as
co-partners on this spaceship we call earth!
Paul: Thank you for listening and for your interest in our well being!
Gypsy: Cats are here to help advise humans and what we are best at is listening.