Famed Chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall went on the Colbert Report to talk about her new book, “Seeds of Hope.” (If you buy the book via this Amazon link, AMERICAblog will get a portion of the sale.)
Colbert asked Goodall to greet him as a chimpanzee would, so she did:
Goodall talked a lot about the environment, about climate change, and genetically modified crops (GMO). Here she’s talking to Colbert about the wonder of trees:
JANE GOODALL: Some of these trees, when you meet a 2,000-year-old tree, and you think ‘my goodness, it stood here for 2,000 years.’ What has it seen? How amazing. You put your hand on the bark and you just feel the sap going up, it’s such an extraordinary feeling.
STEPHEN COLBERT: Jane Goodall, are you trying to make me cry about trees?
What a neat lady. Below the Colbert video, I’m including a video of Goodall releasing a once-near-death chimp named Wounda into the wild. At one point, the chimp greets Goodall in the exact same manner in which she greeted Colbert.
Information that conflicts with long cherished regard is the hardest part of a stubborn commitment
to listen to another viewpoint and then actually make whatever changes are warranted…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/26/jane-goodall-s-troubling-error-filled-new-book-seeds-of-hope.html
I’m glad (or maybe disappointed, I’m not sure) that they didn’t greet each other in the Bonobo fashion.
My dog, Kirby, sat me down and gave me 411: dogs have been working to get along with humans for 10s of thousands of years. Cats somewhat less than that (he pauses, waiting so I can think about how well that’s worked out). “Buddy,” he reminds me, ” ‘Wlld’ means wild”.
http://bonvito.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/far_side_jane_goodall1.jpg
Lucky you. Please give them a hug for me.
She’s not a hacktvist-chimpanzee :)
I understand the tree comment. We live near the Armstrong Redwood forest. Just walking around beneath these ancient trees is an astonishing experience.
She certainly held her up her own side to Colbert. He can be very challenging (we know where his heart is) and she responded beautifully.
About 20 years ago, I attended a press conference with Goodall.
Afterwards, a small group of reporters gathered around and I heard one ask, “Do you think chimps have souls?”
And Goodall replied, “If we have souls, they have souls.”
A great lady.
Greet him as a chimpanzee would…
OMG…she ripped his face off?!?!
Flinging your poo is very simian. Next!
Bye.
And an “obamatronzombie” in every second group?
She as remarkable as ever, a global treasure.
I just love the fact our genetic simian cousins clearly totally get the core concept of the affectionate hug.
Judging from this and the rest of your comment history, I suspect your stay here will be brief…
Jane Goodall said that in any given chimp family group, for no apparent reason, about every 7 years a chimp murder is committed. I wonder is there is an equivalent chimp personality to John Aravosis?
I adore Jane Goodall. She’s a hero of mine. And so are her chimp friends.
I have a deep abiding love and admiration for Jane Goodall. She was one of my inspirations for wanting to study biology. And like Stephen, I got teary at her talking about the ancient tree.