Chimpanzees

Last night I watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the one starring James Franco. Although the plot is completely fictional, certain aspects of it are true. For example, primates, such as chimpanzees are used for medical research everyday. Creatures so similar to us humans should not be used as tools; they deserve to be free, which brings me to another point. When I was in ninth grade, I went on a trip to the Oakland Zoo with some members of my high school. Arriving at the chimpanzee display, which it essentially was, an enclosure of beautiful primates munching on green leaves and staring at us, I was struck by the primate's gentle nature and overall behavior. They were stunning! As I bathed in awe, I began to see beyond the seemingly innocent and harmless enclosure in which they lived. Now, before you interject, I would like to say that I understand that some animals are kept in zoos for their own protection, perhaps because they are injured or maybe because they simply do not have the skills they need to survive on their own in the wild. On the other hand, it isn't natural, and who is to blame? Well, humans. As one of my family friends put it, "Humans are the aliens on this planet" (thanks Jeff, and sorry if it isn't word for word). He was correct. Most humans sit on a thrown with the mindset that they rule the world and every other being on this planet lives to serve them. We must open our eyes and learn to respect Mother Nature. If not, we run the risk of destroying a planet that is not even ours to begin with. Until my next post, please read the following link about the top 25 endangered primates: http://www.primate-sg.org/T25full07.htm

(World Book)

(World Book)