GREAT APES

Introductions to the four types of great apes, all of which are classed as endangered or even critically endangered.

Gudgeon lays on the charm with a trowel, characterizing the peaceable bonobos as “happy hippies” with “supercute” babies, chimpanzees as the “cool kids” on the ape family tree, orangutans as “our high-flying rainforest friends,” and gorillas as “gentle giants.” The many stock photos strongly follow suit—perhaps going overboard by kitting out some bonobos with images of party hats and captioning one photo of a baby orangutan with “as cute and fuzzy as you can get.” Elsewhere, appealing full-face close-ups mingle with views of cozy family groups or offspring with nurturing parents. The author expands his topic with a quick look at the species of gibbons classed as “lesser apes”; he goes on to briefly describe his chosen quartet’s general habits, ranges, and diets while carefully distinguishing each one’s regional variants or biological subspecies and discussing the devastating population drops caused by habitat loss and poaching. Gudgeon points to the use of tools in the wild and the language-learning abilities of individuals like Kanzi the bonobo and Koko the gorilla as signs of their rich intellectual and emotional intelligence. And, along with side profiles of Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, and other great-ape advocates, he lauds a game preserve and other conservation efforts before closing with ways for concerned readers to add their support.

A justly earnest call for concern.