Comments on: The Life of an Ape https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/ I can scarcely move or draw my breath // Let me, let me freeze again to death Wed, 06 Jan 2016 03:58:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Sarah https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3420 Sarah Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:49:46 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3420 hey this is off topic but idk where else to ask you. I saw you posted a animal rights tattoo (the half a human hand and half a paw together) and I was wondering if that was your tattoo and if it wasn’t, then then whose because I want to get one like that, just a little different, but I guess I’d like to make sure it’d be ok with the creator of it.
please email me: surr_uh@hotmail.com
the last thing i want is to post it somewhere and someone thinking i stole their idea without asking.
thanks!

]]> By: RachelG https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3421 RachelG Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:03:47 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3421 Shannon…

I was honored enough to spend one hour with one of the few families left (in the world!) of mountain gorillas in Uganda. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. They share 98% of our DNA and it is completely evident by observing their behaviour.

Due to their endangered status no reputable zoo in the world would keep them in captivity, however when I see Western Lowland Gorillas and other apes in zoos and the such it brings a deep pain to my soul. Human beings still have soo much to learn as a species… We can be so wise in some aspects, and so ignorant in others.

Email me if you’re interested in hearing more about them or discussing this!

]]> By: oniana https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3419 oniana Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:50:36 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3419 have you read adams’ “last chance to see”? brilliant fun times with kimodo dragons

]]> By: Emily Feldman https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3418 Emily Feldman Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:57:47 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3418 That’s why i’m a vegan

]]> By: Brandon Danger https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3417 Brandon Danger Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:21:37 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3417 This whole thing reminds me of “Ishmael”. An amazing book indeed and highly relevent in this blog as it is about the lessons learned by a highly self educated gorilla. It never learned to speak as it lacked the capacity, so it learned telepathy.
Also it’s arguments for primitivism (or at least a significantly reduced eco footprint) are pretty rad as well.
As far as primates capacity for speech… How many have grown up learning a language? The answer is likely none, which means that their capacity for language is pretty much untested. Feral children that learn their first language later in life never achieve as firm a grasp on it as those who learn them young. The brain just doesn’t work the same later in most cases.
I’d say that most primatologists are probably still speciest, in that they likely still see the animals as “lesser” than people.
Besides, from the perspective of either an animal or person cloer to a more hunter gatherer way of life, living in the preset is whats important far more so than the future.

]]> By: gayle https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3416 gayle Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:36:26 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3416 The concept of personhood is what ethicists use to differentiate between morally relevant and irrelevant beings, but the idea has been so abstracted and seperated from actual beings that the idea would include sets of non human animals and exclude sets of human beings and becomes self contradictory to the purpose of which it was originally conceived. wouldn’t it be more fair to not base our treatment of all other beings on their membership or non-membership to an arbitrary group called the morally relevant, and instead treat them as being the same thing we all are; conscious beings experiencing their one glimpse of life?

]]> By: MetalMelter https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3415 MetalMelter Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:22:05 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3415 Aside from humans, apes are one of if not the only other animal that will give its own life in the defense of another. I have always been fascinated by the intelligence of some of the higher thinking creatures- there’s a whole undiscovered world out there, waiting for us to slow down- listen= and find it.

]]> By: Paula https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3413 Paula Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:55:02 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3413 There’s a reason why i’m a zoologist (and no i don’t ever intend to work in a zoo) It’s because i’ve realised that animals are much more intelligent than humans and i would prefer to spend my days surrounded by them rather than people

]]> By: ELY_M https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3414 ELY_M Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:25:42 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3414 Im shocked about your arrest :(
do you think you will beat those fake charges?

Do you know sign language?
I seen one of t-shirt with sign language at bme.
I was wondering who designed the t-shirt?

]]> By: Jennica https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3412 Jennica Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:59:51 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3412 despite the possibility of a frown when thinking of imprisonment, on many levels, it is a lovely picture :)

]]> By: Dustin https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3411 Dustin Wed, 10 Oct 2007 07:48:48 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3411 Shannon, I’m reading a book right now that might interest you. It’s called “The Spell of the Sensuous” by a man name Abram. It’s peripherally related to what you’re writing about here – how, because we’ve adopted an alphabetic /visual culture (as opposed to an oral one), we’ve lost touch with our senses….. we’ve lost the abilities that we, as humans, have had since time immemorial. It’s hard to explain but it relates to how we’ve disengaged from the land and other animals completely, because we only speak in a purely made-up ‘human’ language. It goes to great lengths to ‘prove’ that traditionally oral cultures believe that humans were given language by animals.

]]> By: Anthony https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3410 Anthony Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:57:01 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3410 I stare at my teenage snapping turtle Ajax, he just stares right at my eyes when I hold him or look at him while he’s in the tank. Though he does have the most basic instinct of trying to snap at your finger if you just wiggle it in a certain motion near him(he doesn’t fight at all when handled). I’m just amazed at how smart he’s gotten and also watching him adapt to swimming has been interesting. Love him. . And on the thing you said about crows I saw a video on stumble of a crow trying to get an object out of tube with a wire and after failing several times he bent it into a hook and then got it.

]]> By: Caitlin https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3409 Caitlin Wed, 10 Oct 2007 03:41:12 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3409 Read my book about orangutans by (Canadian) Birute Galdikas-the third woman of the ape studying trio, along with Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. Brilliance. And, while you’re borrowing MY books (for once), take the one about rhinos, and both the beaver books.

You should meet me for lunch today.

]]> By: Wldfire_1 https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3408 Wldfire_1 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:57:13 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3408 The few times i have been to a zoo with apes, i have been fasinated by seeing them,but saddended as they usally look pretty sad/bored/empty. Its like it takes away part of their soul being trapped in a cage put on show. They are far too smart to do something like that to. Or at least thats my 2 cents worth. :)

]]> By: nausea https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3407 nausea Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:58:27 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3407 i often dream of civil rights for bonobos (and hope for synthetics one day :) ).
the “pan” genus is ridiculous: they are homo.

]]> By: janey https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3406 janey Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:24:31 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3406 I think that they deserve far more rights than they have… but I don’t believe it will happen. Humans are far more caught up in other issues for it to ever progress. Maybe one day? It’s the kind of thing people have to come to make their mind up about on their own, from their own personal experiences with animals.

I realise zoos play a part in conservation and research, but where does that stop and capitalism begin? I’d much rather use the $ I pay for entry, to donate to a giant park where the animals can range free, and I’ll just look at photographs, rather than demand small enclosures where I can bash on the windows.

That said… I’d miss having baboons throw shit at me.

]]> By: CrimsonCherub https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3405 CrimsonCherub Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:13:36 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3405 i haven’t been to a zoo in ages.

last i visited, the poppa orangutan was surrounded by a class of about 15 or 20 children all pounding on the glass…much like what you saw, his forehead was actually pressed on the glass, and his eyes were empty. he took a deeeeeeeeep breath and let out a heavy sigh.

i walked away in tears and haven’t gone back.

at any rate, i hope you’re able to unplug yourself from the matrix ;)

]]> By: rusty https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3404 rusty Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:58:14 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3404 I remember the last zoo i visited, the apes, chimps, orangutans, etc acted like they could do me in if they had half a chance. Not unlike the surly peacock that chased me.

I am sure if I was put into a corner I would become the most vengful (sic) person. And by the way, before someone says it to me, I really don’t care for lemonade anymore.

]]> By: Scienkoptic https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3403 Scienkoptic Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:15:53 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3403 I’m in the middle of reading:
“More Readings From One Man’s Wilderness”
The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke
1974-1980

On several occasions he states the Following: ” Is it proper that the wilderness and it’s creatures should suffer because we came?”
Shannon’s current entry made me think of the quote.

Nature gives us so much and in return we give nothing much back but misery, pollution and extinction. My parents raised me to take nothing that can’t be replaced (i.e.: firewood)and leave nothing that doesn’t belong.
A life outdoors was my childhood and seeing nature at work was far more fascinating than watching animals languishing in zoos. That said, most of the great primates will end up existing exclusively in zoos. The Folks that live amongst them like to eat them.

]]> By: estrojenn https://zentastic.me/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/comment-page-1/#comment-3402 estrojenn Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:15:52 +0000 https://www.ineedmorelife.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-life-of-an-ape/#comment-3402 jane goodall is one of my heroes.

and i hate the zoo because i really feel like the animals would kill me if they could get out of their cages.

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