04.情同手足—黑猩猩

1、For centuries there werefearsome tales of a halfhuman monster roamingthe African forestsEven in modern times,knowledge of the elusive creaturethe wild chimpanzee-was largely based on speculationThen, in 1 960 a daringyoung Englishwomanset out to sort fiction from truthShe had been warnedYoull never

2、getnear the chimpanzees,but she was determined to tryHer name, Jane GoodallShe was 26 years old anddestined to make scientific historyAgainst odds manythought insurmountableshe gradually earnedthe chimpanzees trustThe picture that hasemergedis an awesomeportrait of the animalsmost like manThe simila

3、rities to humans arethe obvious physical resemblance;the discovery that they hunt and eat meat;the even more profound revelationthat they are intelligent enoughto make and use toolsand in their nonverbal communicationperhaps the most uncannyresemblance of allMeticulously documented onmotion-picture

4、filmJane Goodalls classic study stretchesfrom 1 960 to the present dayA compelling chronicle that spansthree generations of chimpsit is the longest study of any wildanimal group in the worldUnexpectedly one of its recentchapters took a forbidding turnThe usually gentleamiable chimps revealed a darka

5、nd sinister side-puzzling, savage behavioras yet unexplainedAnd so the saga goes on -the emarkable adventure of the wildchimpanzees and the dedicatedwoman who works among them stillGrowing up in Bournemouth,England, Jane Goodallwas drawn to the world of animalsalmost from the startWhen her mother ga

6、vethe infant a chimp dolloutraged friends predicted nightmaresThey could not have been more wrongEven when l was very tiny l wasabsolutely fascinated by animalsl think l first began to dream ofgoing to Africa after readingDr. Doolittle and Tarzanwhen l was about eightl was absolutely fascinated with

7、the idea of being out in the jungleout with the animalsfeeling a part of it all.Famed anthropologist Louis Leakeyhad long searched for someoneto study wild chimpanzees forclues to the behavior of early manl want someone unbiasedby academic learning, he saidSomeone with uncommon patienceand dedicatio

8、n.His faith in Jane Goodall wouldlead to one of the most importantscientific studies of our timeHer journey would take Goodall tothe East African country of Tanzaniathen known as TanganyikaThe remote Gombe Stream GameReserve stretches for aboutten miles of ruggedmountainous country along theshore of

9、 Lake TanganyikaAnd so on the 1 4th of July 1 960Jane Goodall was 4,000 miles from homea tiny boat her only linkto the civilized worldWhen l arrived at theGombe Stream Reservel felt that at long last my childhoodambition was being realizedBut when l looked at the wild andrugged mountains wherethe ch

10、impanzees livedl knew that my task was not going to be easy.Day-to-day life in this remotewilderness would be difficult at bestThe local authoritieshorrified at the thought of a youngwhite woman alone in the wildat first refused Janepermission to comeagreeing only when she said she wouldbring a comp

11、anionAside from her motherVanne Goodall, and an African cookJane would spend the nextseveral months virtually alonelt was already late afternoonwhen the tents were pitched andprovisions storedBut after 20 years of dreamingof this dayJane was eager to beginUnarmed and untrained sheventured into a str

12、ange, new worldFor most, this would be a lonelyforbidding realmBut for Jane Goodallit was where she most wanted to beDuring my first days at Gombe lcould hardly believe it was trueAt last l was out in the wildl didnt see many animalsbut l had the feeling they were thereall around, watching meThere w

13、ere rustles in the undergrowthstrange callssmells l could not identify.For monthsthe objects of her search invariablyfled at the mere sight of herOften she couldnt find them at alllt was a steeprigorous climb to the open ridges abovebut perhaps, she hopeda way to pinpoint the nomadic apes belowl dis

14、covered not far from campthat there was a peak overlookingtwo valleysAnd from this vantage pointl was able to gradually piece togetherthe daily behavior of the chimpsThe major advantage of the Peak wasthat the chimps could see mesitting up there and graduallyget used to my presence.Sitting quietly i

15、n the same spotday after dayalways dressed in the sameneutral colorsnever attempting tofollow the shy apesthe figure on the Peak graduallybecame less of a threatlt would be some time, howeverbefore Jane was accepted at closer rangeThough the chimps nowrecognized the intruderher intent was far from c

16、learJane had to accept therealization thatfor the being being at leastmuch of her knowledge wouldbe based on indirect evidencelike an abandoned sleepingnest high in the treesJane found the nest was notsimply a pile of wadded leavesbut a carefully interwovenplatform created by dextrous handsand a rea

17、soning brainBut the intelligent creaturewho made it had long since moved onlmpatient with her slow progresswith the chimpsJane stretched each day to thefinal rays of the setting sunThis would be her first mealin 1 2 hourslt had been another longand frustrating dayAs l am not a defeatistit only made

18、my determinationto succeed strongerl never had anythought of quittingl should forever havelost all self-respect if l had given up.And sodays that began before dawnreached well past midnightAnd, for as longas it would taketomorrow would be the sameEven when there were nochimps to be foundthere was al

19、ways much to be doneSamples of plants the chimps eatwould be preserved forlater identificationThere was a new language to learntribal customs to absorbA makeshift clinic helped cementgood relationswith the local villagersWith camp life settling intoa comfortable routineGombe increasingly becameJane

20、Goodalls private worldThough her staff was growingoutsiders til nowhad not been welcomelest they frighten the chimpsBut at Louis Leakeys urgingshe agreed that a permanent filmrecord of the chimps be madeTo shield herselfand the cameramanshe built a blind- a screen of leavesHugo van Lawickis a specia

21、list in wildlifePrimarily funded by theNational Geographic Societyover the coming years heand Goodall would capturedetails of chimp behaviornever before dreamed possibleThey found that chimpanzeesare nomadictraveling in ever changing groupsin the daily search for foodwanderings that can take themtwo

22、 to six miles in a single dayThey are animals ofdramatic extremesnoisy and excitable one minutecalm and gentle the nextTo satisfy their hunger on adiet that is largely vegetarianchimps eat up toseven hours a dayMuch of their diet is fruitbut they also feed on leavesblossoms, seeds, and stemsAfter co

23、ngregating at a food sourceseveral individuals may restand groom togetherthen separate once againThe only stable group within thecommunity is a mother and her youngMales take no partin child rearingContrary to common beliefchimps do not have fleasMutual grooming does remove flakesof dried skin and g

24、rass seedsbut physical contact for its ownsake seems to be the primary goalNot much interestedin quiet pursuitsyoungsters have better things to doThe chimps very graduallycame to realize thatl was not dangerous after alll shall never forget the dayafter about 1 8 months whenfor the first timea small

25、 group allowed meto approach and be near themFinally l had been acceptedl think it was oneof the proudestand most exciting momentsof my whole lifeChimpanzees are as distinct fromone another as are human beingsand Jane gave them namesas she came to recognize themOld Flo, with her bulbousnose and ragg

26、ed earsis matriarch of the familyJane would come to know bestAt seven weeks, infant Flint isstill completely dependent on FloFlos adolescent son Figan playswith his younger sister FifiEven fully mature Faben oftenstays with the familyEver since Flints birthhis sister Fifi has beenfascinated by the b

27、abyRepeatedly she tries totouch and groom himThe older chimpsless interested in babiestend to ignore FlintBut Fifi is persistentactually trying to takethe infant from FloThough protective of her newbornFlo is never rough with FifiWhen shes had enoughshe simply walks offleaving Fifi lookingrather fru

28、stratedAnother groups arrival is signaledby a chorus of hooting callsAdult males dominate chimp societyand are much precoccupied withtheir position in the hierarchyln an effort to better his rank themale puts on an awesome charging displayWith hair bristlingand vegetation flyingthe male makes himsel

29、f appear largerand more dangerous than he actually islntended to intimidate rivalsit is usually nothingmore than superb bluffAfter displays of aggressionthe dominant chimp often reassures thosewho have been frightened or hurtand thus tension is defusedharmony restoredOne male rose to thetop of the h

30、ierarchyby intelligence rather than strengthMike discovered that rollingempty kerosene cans from Janes campmade a horrifying noiseOriginally one of thelowest ranking malesMike was now number oneClose to where they are feedingwhen dusk falls the chimpanzees will buildsleeping nests for the night 30to

31、 40 feet up in the treesAfter choosing a suitablefoundation such as a horizontal forkthe chimp takes only three tofive minutes to bend down branchesthen twigs, to createa comfortable, padded bedWith creature comfortslong since forsakenJane found increasing pleasuresin her wilderness worldBut, as she

32、 soon discoveredhuman creature comfortswere not without appeal to someA chimp had wandered into campand found the supply tentwhere bananas were storedBecause he had been to campbefore when Jane was in the forestshe had a prearranged signalto call her backlt was thrilling after all this timeto find a

33、 chimp actually in my camplt was David Greybearda male l had already come toknow out in the forest.Davids boldness markeda turning point for JaneAfter the endless monthsshe had searched for themthe chimpsfollowing Davids leadmow came to herGraduallytheir inherent fear gave wayand an offer of friends

34、hipwas accepted with trustlf she could lure the chimpsinto camp regularlyJane realizedher observations would befar more consistent thanchance encounters in the forestBananas were the answerThe scheme was not without its flawsas the local baboons quickly provedDavid Greybeard repeatedlyran to his fri

35、endthe more powerful Goliathfor protectionGoliath came to Davids defensebut the baboon knewwhich chimp was afraidand it was Davidhe went for every timeBecause of the trustestablished in camptracking the chimps in the forestwas now much easier for JaneShe was able to follow and documentin detail the

36、development ofFlos infant son, FlintAt six monthsFlint is lerning to rideon his mothers backBut sometimes he doesntget it quite rightAt around the same agehe takes his first tottering stepsWhen he stumbles and whimpersFlo quickly rescues himFlo is a particularly affectionatetolerant and playful moth

37、erand because much maternalbehavior is learnedshe is the role modelfor her daughter FifiAs Flint grows olderFlo permits Fifi to take himfor brief periods of timeSuch experiences provide importanttraining for the future when youngfemales mature andhave offspring of their ownAbout the time Flobegins t

38、o carry Flint on her backFifi tries to imitate FloThough unsuccessfulthe attempt marks an importantmilestone in her learning experienceMandy is a young female who hasjust had her first babyFifi has never seen the babybefore and is intriguedFor the moment at leastthis is something moreinteresting tha

39、n FlintAs Mandy settles downFifi comes for a closer look atthis newest member of the communityAll youngsters at Gombeare interested in new babiesbut Jane had never seen onewho showed more fascination than FifiA study in concentrationMandy is not worriedby Fifis presencebut when adolescent male Figan

40、approaches she nervously moves offBoth Fifi and Figan are fascinatedby the smell of the new babyFifi has followed Mandy up a treeand now attempts to touch the babyMandy gently fends her offMeanwhile, even Flint is curiousabout another infant younger than heBut Flo is ready to move onin search of foo

41、dand she lets Flint knowit is time to goFifi, still engrossedwith Mandys babydoes not notice that they leaveWhen she finallylooks for her motherFlo is out of sightAt six, Fifi is still quite dependenton her mother and cries in distressShe has no idea inwhat direction Flo has goneNormally Flo would c

42、omeat Fifis criesbut apparently cant hear herabove the growing stormAlthough chimps seem miserablein the rainsurprisingly they make little effortto find shelterEven in a torrential downpourthey just sit and wait it outLong committed to observingthe chimps seven days a weekJane ignored the rainSearch

43、ing for the lost Fifishe saw something remarkable insteadthe male Goliath performinga spectacular displayEnthralled by the magnificentrain dance,With a display of strength and vigorsuch as this primitive man himselfmight have challenged the elements.Twenty minutes later the rain dancewas over as sud

44、denly as it had begunAmong Goliaths audience Janespotted Flo and FlintFrom her tall lookoutFifi saw them tooStrong family tiestemporarily broken by the stormwere once again intactThe rainy season bringsthe flight of fertilewinged termites as they leavetheir nests to establish new coloniesFor chimp a

45、nd baboon alikethey are a tasty delicacyBut baboons can only capturethe termites outside the nestas the swarms emerge and flyWhen they have gone and worker termiteshave resealed the nestthe baboons will move onBut the chimps not only knowtermites are therehidden below the surface,they have learned h

46、ow to get at themln defense of their nestthe termites grip onto the grasand with utmost carethe chimp gently draws them outAs a stem becomes bentthe chimp breaks off the endto make it work more efficientlySometimes a leafy twig is selectedbut first it mustbe stripped of its leavesln these actionsmod

47、ifying natural objectsfor a specific purpose -the chimp is not only usingbut actually making toolslt seems certain thatthis is a learned behavior passedfrom generation to generationby watching and imitationFlint does not yet knowhow to fish for termitesbut already he imitatespart of Flos techniqueJa

48、nes proof that chimpsmake and use tools would rockthe scientific worldTool using always used to beconsidered a hallmarkof the human speciesWhen Louis Leakey first heardabout tool using at Gombehe got extremely excited and saidNow we have to redefine manredefine tool orinclude chimpanzees with humans

49、.A chimpanzee brain will neverdesign a computernor even imagine a durabletool chipped from stoneBut his brain is more similarto our own than is that ofany other living creatureAnd surely it was thus thatour distant human ancestors beganlearning to masterthe natural worldin the constant struggleto su

50、rviveTo a thirsty chimprainwater trapped in the hollowof a tree is invitingbut not easily reachedOnce again the chimps have learned tosolve a problem by fashioning a toolWadded leaves act as a spongeChewing makes them more absorbentUsing the spongethe chimp can get as much aseight times more waterth

51、an with fingers alonelnherently curious, youngsters likeFifi learn from older chimpsand thus the techniqueis passed onBaboons at Gombe outnumberthe chimps by about four to oneFor the most partthe two species coexist peacefullyBut the baboon is a competitor forfood and friction can ariseBecause he ha

52、s the intelligenceto use a weaponyet another type of tool even a youngstercan intimidate a fully grown maleThe bluff works butas Jane would find outsometimes the aggressionis very realA young baboon has been capturedand killed by a group of chimpsand they will feast on its remainsJanes discovery ast

53、ounded thescientific worldthe chimp is not the gentlevegetarian we had thoughtbut, like humans,a formidable predatorSometimes cooperating tohunt and stalk their preythey also kill young antelopebushpigs, and monkeysFor the most part chimps eat meatonly they themselves have killedlndeed, a dead anima

54、l isoften a puzzling sightWith Gombes growing famevisiting students and scientistsbecame a regular part of the sceneOne day, as part of a projectto record chimpanzee callsJane put out bananas in great quantitiesThe result -an eruption of frenzied excitementdesperate begging,and violent aggressionBec

55、ause of the excessivehostilities arousedJane disapproved of suchhuman interventionBut the episode was notwithout valuerevealing the intricate patterns ofchimpanzee dominance and submissionand the chimps intense need forreassurance by touchThe sounds of the encounter werecarefully analyzed by studentsspecializing in chimp vocalizationWith the passing yearsGombe drew students from aroundthe world with interests ranging frombiology t