Personhood Beyond the Human

This week I was lucky enough to be able to attend "Personhood Beyond the Human", a conference at Yale University sponsored by The Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, endorsed by the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) and funded by Terasem Movement Foundation and of course, Arcus Foundation (who seem to be behind everything that I enjoy).

Although this conference was not specifically about primates, primates were often the topic of discussion (along with elephants and orcas). Over three days, the various speakers gave presentations on all aspects of legal personhood, how to recognize a being as a person, and why or if humans should recognize other beings as persons.

Keeping in mind that just this week, the NhRP filed the first cases on behalf of the legal personhood of a chimpanzee, the timing of this conference was pretty incredible.

Even more incredible were some of the speakers...

Peter Singer - the very man who penned my all-time favorites Animal Liberation and The Great Ape Project - opened the conference on Friday night. About five years ago, I took a train to Manhattan to hear him speak, but my second time seeing him live was no less exciting. Perhaps "exciting" is not the right word for a bunch of people sitting in an auditorium on a rainy Friday night, but regardless, I always find myself rather exhilarated to be in the presence of (what I consider to be) greatness and true inspiration.

Singer discussed speciesism, or the tendency to have a bias against other species simply in order to give preferential treatment to the group to which one personally belongs.  Giving equal consideration to similar interests - across species - requires humans to empathize and consider what it's like to be a being of another species, especially when it comes to their possible desires to experience pleasure and avoid pain.

There is a strong case to consider rationality (or the awareness of one's own existence over time) to be the basis of legal personhood. It would then follow that some animals (such as chimpanzees) would be considered legal persons, despite the fact that many humans (such as young children and the mentally disabled) who are not considered rational have already been enjoying these rights.

It was clear that Singer could have spoken for hours longer, even just to answer all the questions from the audience. It was well worth the down-pour that drenched us all as we left the auditorium that night!

On Saturday, I was looking forward to hearing from Steven Wise, director of the NhRP and the lawyer who spent the last 27 years of his life building up for this past week's legal filing. I was lucky enough to speak with him in person earlier that day. He is a kind, pleasant man with a wonderful sense of a humor and enviable perserverence. I have no doubt that chimpanzees deserve more legal rights, and I have even less doubt that Steven Wise can prove this in a court of law.

Wise brought with him what appeared to be a ream of paper, but it was actually the testimonials of the primatologists and experts related to his trials. From Tetsuro Matsuzawa to Christophe Boesch, I was familiar with many of the names because they, like Wise and Singer, are in Monkey Business. He explained that the NhRP is asking the judges of their cases to focus on the importance of autonomy of the four captive chimps living within New York state. Relying on petitions for common law writ of habeas corpus, they are referencing the slave trials of America's past, in which the captors must present the captive being and legally and sufficiently explain why keeping him or her jailed is justified.

Common law equality means that you can't treat the same things differently for an arbitrary reason, Mr. Wise stated. Discrimination based on being a chimpanzee is arbitrary and such treatment is akin to racism, or sexism, or any other -ism in which one population strips equality from another population based on one characteristic.

The recent climate of the United States animal rights field, combined with key events like the National Institutes of Health's recent halt to funding of chimpanzee research, made it the perfect time for NhRP to file their first cases this week, and this weekend's conference was more than opportune. 

Personhood Beyond the Human was an encapsulation of the times. We are living on the brink of change for our closest relatives, and was quite fascinating to hear first-hand from the mouths of those who lead the way.

First case by the Nonhuman Rights Project!

The following piece was written as an Op-Ed submission to the New York Times.

On December 2nd, a suit was filed in a New York court that questions the personhood of a chimpanzee.

This may sound strange. At first consideration, the personhood of a chimpanzee seems contradictory because the English language usually uses the words “person” and “human” interchangeably. However, the legal ramifications of personhood are an entirely different matter…and not contingent on species membership (at least not by definition).

Currently, chimpanzees are considered legal objects to be owned by humans. Defining a living being as a legal person entails certain rights of bodily integrity and freedom from captivity. Such rights are surprisingly not yet granted to chimpanzees in the United States, despite decades of research that have shown these beings are so much more than complacent breathing bits of fur and bone.

Chimpanzee behavior reflects emotions like sadness and happiness, trepidation and affiliation. They can use sign language to communicate their desires and thoughts to those surrounding them, and they naturally teach life skills to their infants. Chimpanzees understand abstract concepts like working in a group towards a common goal, empathy towards others, and anticipation over time…which makes their lives in captivity seem that much more cruel.

They not only can suffer, but they do suffer when living in captivity. A normally sociable, inquisitive mammal will be distressed when kept in a cage without stimulation. This prohibits the expression of their natural behaviors. Mental disease and both physical wasting and morbid obesity plagues those chimpanzees unfortunate enough to spend their years in a cage. Travis the chimpanzee’s 2009 attack of a woman in Stamford is proof of what happens when a strong, intelligent animal is forced to live a life unnatural to their species.

Humanity’s treatment of the other animals on this earth, and specifically the great apes, has evolved over time. Various states throughout the country are banning the ownership of chimpanzees as pets. Just this year, the National Institutes of Health has quit funding the majority of chimpanzee research. With every endangered species protection written into law, and each time letters of complaint are mailed to protest against using ape actors on television, humans are speaking on behalf of those who can’t.

The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) filed this week’s first suit on behalf of Tommy, a chimpanzee living in a dark cage in a trailer lot in Gloversville, New York. Two more suits are planned for filing later this week, in the hopes the additional three chimpanzees living in New York state may have their freedoms granted. The group is determined to help these four captive New York chimpanzees and ensure for them a brighter future.

At least 95% of our genetic material is identical to that of chimpanzees. Yet our brains have evolved, granting humans the capacity for higher thought and ethical consideration. This power is being put to great use on behalf of our closest biological relative, the chimpanzee.

Let’s start with Tommy and take it from there.

For more information on Tommy's case, and the others planned, please click here.

Monkey Business in the UD Messenger!

When I graduated from the University of Delaware's Creative Writing program in 2003, many people asked me if I wanted to write a book. I always replied  with a quick "no!"

At the time, I thought I would spend my career working to help others, because I didn't want to just work... I wanted to make  a difference.

Funny how things turn out.

This was in the UD Alumni Magazine (The Messenger) delivered to my mailbox today.

More reader feedback

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out of appreciation for the readers who have shared their opinions of Monkey Business: A History of Primate Rights. 

Whether it's via an Amazon.com review or simply in an email to me, I love hearing what people think as they read...and even more so, I love hearing how the book may affect them even after they've turned the last page.

Click here to access reviews of Monkey Business.

Working for the Primate Rescue Center!

Well, I've once again partnered up with one of my favorite sanctuaries - Primate Rescue Center!

Their lovely sanctuary in Kentucky is home to more than 50 primates that were rescued from medical research or living as pets, and includes eleven chimpanzees and ten different species of monkeys. 

One of their residents, a macaque named Boo, happens to grace the cover of a certain book I'm sure you're all familiar with...

Primate Rescue Center is also where I interned for an amazing week in 2006. I wish I had been able to escape my "real" life and stay there longer! I will forever be grateful to this organization, and its founder April Truitt, for giving me my first break in the primatology world.

Now, I'm lucky to work with these folks again! I've been hired to help update the 'In The News' section of their website by regularly posting news stories about apes and monkeys. 

You can stay on top of primates in the news here, thanks to Primate Rescue Center!

Additional funds allocated for retired chimp care

It's a good day for retired chimpanzees.

Then again, I would think most days are good for retired chimps...at least, compared to when they lived in research laboratories!

Let me explain.

Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health announced that it would no longer fund most research involving chimpanzees, and plans were put in motion to retire almost all of the 360 chimpanzees currently being used in research. 

However, a ruling from years past had limited the amount of funding that could be allocated to support caring for the retired chimpanzees at their new home at Chimp Haven (a sanctuary in Louisiana that is the official retirement home of chimpanzees used in federally funded research, as per 2000's CHIMP Act.)

The funding was set to exceed the $30 million limit this month.

Thankfully, yesterday Congress approved a $9-12 million year granting of funds to pay for chimpanzee retirement. President Obama is expected to sign the bill shortly.

See? Chimpanzees care doesn't come cheap...I wish people who buy these animals as pets understood that!

SOLD OUT!

Today, bidding opened up for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest's online auction, and the picture below makes me very happy.

Monkey Business is sold out!!

Granted, they only had one copy...but still. I like seeing the words "sold out" next to my book, especially when I know the proceeds are helping to fund lifetime care for chimpanzees retired from biomedical research. 

There are still lots of great items up for auction. Do some holiday shopping for friends and family. 

Or for me! This silver vegan tote is pretty amazing...

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest Auction

Starting November 9th, Monkey Business will be available for sale in Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest's annual auction!

'Biddin' for the Seven' is an online auction that is part of 'Sippin' for the Seven', a fundraiser to go towards care of the seven chimpanzees currently residing at this sanctuary in Cle Elum, Washington. 

Although 'Sippin' for the Seven' is an actual beverage-tasting event taking place in Roslyn, Washington on November 9th (click here for more information if you'd like to attend), the beauty of 'Biddin' for the Seven' is that it takes place entirely online, permitting folks who life far away the chance to participate!

You can preview the items up for auction...oh, and check out that cool looking book I see in the 'Win It Now' category!

(For the record, I see two cool looking books. I've been meaning to read Sheri Speede's Kindred Beings   since it was recommended to me by April Truitt of Primate Rescue Center.)

I'll remind you all to bid on November 9th!

NEPC Newsletter

Monkey Business: A History of Nonhuman Primate Rights is featured in the current newsletter from New England Primate Conservancy, right alongside Jane Goodall Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, and a great new kids' book about orangutans!

Click here to read the newsletter.

Spotlight on Jill Pruetz

A few years ago, I was excited to learn that there would be an online primatology course offered through Iowa State University. Yes, I had already taken an intro-level primatology course while at University of Delaware, but that's where my official primatology educated ended. You see, higher-level primatology courses are not taught at all universities, and being that I really discovered my love of primatology after graduating from college and starting my work career, I was not able to simply pick up and move to a place that had established primatology post-graduate courses (like Wisconsin or Washington.)

An distance-learning primatology course was perfect for me, so I eagerly signed up. You can read more about the course here.

I was happy to learn that it would be taught by Jill Pruetz, a world-renowned chimpanzee expert with an active research project at a site in Senegal. Some of the lessons even involved live-feeds from Jill, direct in Senegal!

photo credit: Frans Lanting / National Geographic

The class was well-done and I learned a lot, including how much fun it is to say "ischial callosities" Google it. It's fun.

Since then, I have continued to follow Jill and her research.

She was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2008, and her work has been written about in many places, like this National Geographic Magazine article. Knowing her, I would think she is most proud of the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project, a 12-year (and counting!) research project that follows a troop of savanna woodland chimpanzees in Senegal. It was at this site in 2006 that Jill and her team documented a female chimpanzee sharpening a stick into a spear, and using it to hunt and kill another mammal (in this case, a small, tree-dwelling primate called a bush baby).

This was HUGE! Previously, it was thought that only humans used tools to hunt mammals. Similar to when Jane Goodall's research first proved tool use amongst chimpanzees - prompting a re-evealuation of what it meant to be human - Jill's research proved once again that behavior that had been considered unique to humans is indeed shared by other primates. Her site's team would continue to observe this spear-hunting behavior again and again.

Jill has not rested on her laurels - she actually seems busier than ever. She continues to teach in Iowa and maintain other projects within the primatology world, but it's clear that she tries to spend as much time as possible in Senegal,where her work is never done.

The social network of the chimpanzees in Fongoli is changing constantly, and 2012 the research site was saddened to learn of the death (due to snakebite) of chimpanzee Tia, which left her two offspring orphaned. Her five year old daughter, Aimee, disappeared later in the year and it is assumed that she met an unfortunate fate. Her two month old, Toto, was too young to be on his own and in this rare instance, the researchers had to intervene and care for him if he were to survive. So far, he is thriving and over a year old! Click here to buy a t-shirt to help support and fund care for little Toto.

photo credit : Stacy Lindshield / Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project

So there you go - a little snippet about a very cool and inspiring lady who has accomplished great things in the primatology sphere.

I finally met Jill in person at the Great Ape Summit last month.

It's always exciting to finally meet someone in person when you really admire their work. I was nervous at first, but Jill is so kind and down-to earth that I was quickly at ease.

Plus, she enjoys reading Monkey Business and really likes pumpkin coffee, so now I think she's even cooler...

Thanks to New England Primate Conservancy!

A few years ago, I spent some time volunteering with some very kind, dedicated people at the New England Primate Conservancy. At the time it was called the New England Primate Sanctuary (NEPS), and the organization had spent years and years trying to raise funds to establish the first primate sanctuary in New England. Their goal was to use some property in Rhode Island to house primates (mainly monkeys) that were retired from research at area universities and labs. 

Although politics and permitting troubles got in the way of NEPS's plans for the Rhode Island facility, they have gone forward with another of their side projects. Throughout all the years since their inception, another of their goals was to raise awareness and encourage education of primate conservation amongst the younger generations. They developed some wonderful curricula and learning resources available for instructors and teachers, and their new name of New England Primate Conservancy now seems quite fitting! Please check out the various tabs on their website for more information on how you could use their resources.

I'm happy to say that Monkey Business is now featured on the New England Primate Conservancy website! 

If you click on their home page and scroll down, you'll see a familiar site staring back at you!

Book signing at V Organic Cafe's Autumnfest

Saturday, October 5th started out a bit rainy, but eventually cleared up into a beautiful day - perfect for the Autumnfest celebration at V Organic Cafe in Upton, Massachusetts.

The cafe is run by Veronica Ramos, an old volunteering colleague of mine from my days at the fledgling New England Primate Sanctuary. Veronica, a longtime vegan and animal activist, finally was able to combine her love of animal-friendly baking and art into a beautiful Art-Deco inspired space that is home to not only a cafe, but also a retail space and art gallery.

And of course, Monkey Business will be sold in her retail space!

I loved being able to finally visit the cafe and try her goodies, and the Autumnfest celebration was adorable. I was able to re-connect with the founder of the New England Primate Sanctuary, now called the New England Primate Conservancy, and I met a mother-daughter team who make pet collars and donate all their profits to saving street dogs in Thailand. Check out their company, For The Love of Shallots, and their goods here. I think I know what my dog is getting this holiday season!

For it being a smaller event, I spoke with a surprising number of people about my book and sold more copies than I had expected. I think my favorite customer was either the twelve-year-old girl who was a voracious reader and interested in animal rights, or the older gentleman who bought a copy for his wife, and told me as he was leaving that he had been a vegan for 40 years! He and his wife then danced to the music of the band that was playing, even though nobody else was dancing. So cute.

I had a great day meeting some very interesting people.

Next on the agenda: plan another book signing!

Another 'zoo' bites the dust

The last few days, I've been following the saga of some unfortunate inhabitants of the now-defunct Las Vegas Zoo (also called the Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park). This 'zoo' (and I use those parentheses purposefully) was a roadside enterprise for visiting tourists, headed by a perhaps once-well-meaning man named Pat Dingle whose love for exotic animals grew greater than the size of his pockets.

The LasVegasZoo.com website is now shut down, like the entire organization, but basic online searches reveal less-than-stellar reviews from people who were very concerned about the animals' welfare at Dingle's facility.

This article from local website LasVegas CityLife quotes a Humane Society officer who claims that her organization was aware of animal welfare problems at the Las Vegas Zoo for at least five years.

This September 30th article from local news source Contact13 explains that the tiny operation grew completely unmanageable after all of its employees (all three of them) suddenly quit in protest of (what they believed to be) substandard animal care.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the government body responsible for inspecting and licensing facilities who keep primates (and other species) in captivity,  stepped in to help when the zoo shut its doors, but was unsuccessful in placing all the zoo's inhabitants in a timely fashion. Thus far, an otter and three baby agoutis (large, guinea-pig-like rodents) have died in the weeks since the zoo's closure.

When the USDA placed an SOS call to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, a quickie rescue was thrown together for the primates who had lived at the zoo: Terry, a 33 year old male chimpanzee, and four Barbary macaques. Terry is destined for Save The Chimps in Florida (the world's largest chimpanzee sanctuary) and the macaques are headed to Primate Rescue Center, an equally stellar organization that is home to both apes and monkeys in Kentucky.

So, the nonhuman primates at Las Vegas Zoo have been saved. Good.

Why am I writing about this now? For a few reasons...

I have been lucky to know some of the heros (or heroines, as the case may be) of this story, two ladies who gave up their plans for this week to ensure these primates would get to their forever homes: April Truitt runs the Primate Rescue Center and was kind enough years ago to invite me to intern there when I first became interested in pursuing a career in the nonhuman primate world. Her advice in the years since then has been invaluable. Jen Feuerstein is Sanctuary Director of Save The Chimps, and is someone I was lucky to spend a lot of time with at last month's Great Ape Summit. I respect that these two women have not only dedicated their careers, and their lives, to nonhuman primates but also were able to throw together these cross-country rescues when primates needed them the most.

I also write about this because I think it's important to expose the often-shady side of the zoo industry. I'm not going to debate the merits of the entire zoo industry, because I don't think this is the proper forum, and there are some people working for zoos who truly do care about the animals in their facilities. There is information in my book, Monkey Business, about the ethics of zoos, and there are other animal rights books out there that discuss this topic at more length. However, there are zoos and there are 'zoos'... 

These 'zoos' I speak of, often referred to as 'backyard zoos' are most usually not in the best interest of the animals. While some saving graces of accredited mainstream zoos involve education and conservation efforts,  backyard zoos exist to turn a profit. Their substandard care quite often involves things like normally socially, active animals being housed independently, small, dirty cages and enclosures, unnatural diets, malnutrition, a lack of exercise and little to no mental stimulation for beings that may spend their entire lifetimes in this prison-like atmosphere. 

Watchdog organizations in the United States are overburdened as it is, and although the USDA stepped in to help place the suddenly homeless animals from the Las Vegas Zoo, this was too little, too late. Thankfully, organizations like Save The Chimps and Primate Rescue Center are so dedicated and quickly made room for some new inhabitants.

Nevada is one of only six US states without a law prohibiting the ownership of exotic animals. If such a law were in place when Pat Dingle started his 'zoo', none of this would have happened in the first place. Primate sanctuaries that are already full of inhabitants and strapped for cash wouldn't need to be scrambling this week-long rescue and figure out how to provide lifetime care for yet another chimpanzee and four more macaques.

I'm glad the employees of the Las Vegas Zoo were willing to sacrifice their jobs for the safety and future well-being of animals like Terry. They have made a difference for Terry the chimpanzee and the four barbary macaques headed to sanctuary. 

The four barbary macaques can now make their own social group at their new home in Kentucky. They will live in peace and get the medical attention and species-appropriate emotional stimulation that, most likely, was denied from them thus far.

Terry may live to be fifty years old, as chimps often do. He may have twenty more years ahead of him! Instead of the confines of a cage, where his every move was tracked by gawking tourists, he can spend those years, instead, in the Florida sun, joining a social group like he would have in the wild. He can sit on a hill of tall grass that is gently blowing in the wind, and, hopefully, forget why he was rescued in the first place.

Upcoming book signing

This Saturday, October 5th, I'll be signing books as part of the Autumnfest celebrations at V Organic Cafe & Art Gallery in Upton, Massachusetts.

You can view the flyer for the event here, and the Facebook event here.

Although I'm certainly excited to be signing books and reaching some new readers, I'm probably equally excited to sample some of the cafe's all-vegan delicacies!

Organic vanilla coconut cupcakes by V Organic Cafe

Other than the amazingness to be exhibited at my table, there will be additional fun stuff going on to celebrate fall, including a silent art auction, yoga, face painting, and a jazz quartet....as well as something being whipped up called a Pumpkin Pie smoothie, which sounds too good to be true.

Look: I even made you a map so you don't get lost! Don't forget your GPS too ;)

View Larger Map

I look forward to seeing you there!

Great Ape Summit 2013

A few days ago, I returned from the Great Ape Summit of 2013. 

Held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming over the span of four days before merging with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, the event was a complex mixture of great minds and intense passion, much compassion, and some optimism. 

I mention optimism for a reason. 

Everyone in attendance was at the Great Ape Summit for one purpose - because they had at one point recognized something unique about nonhuman primates and have dedicated their life's work to the variety of primate species that populate this earth along with us.  

There were delegates from over twenty countries who took time away from their research, their writing, their sanctuaries and their missions so that something better might come of it. This meeting held under the expansive Wyoming skies was determined to have a purpose, and the more people I spoke with, the harder I found it to believe that these great minds would disappoint anyone when it comes to accomplishing a goal.

The overarching theme of that summit was that time is running short for the many, many primates whose lives have been affected by human mismanagement in one way or another, and that action must be taken now or else we risk the extinction and threatening of many primate species. 

Comparative maps showing the increased demand for palm oil and the palm plantations' speedy encroachment of primary forests were depressing and yet also energizing at the same time, for every graphic image beamed up in our faces simply illustrated that this point in history is crucial when it comes to halting the severe ecological destruction of Africa and Asia. It's pretty impossible to ignore it when you hear that, for example, 90% of the Ivory Coast's population of chimpanzees disappeared within just seventeen years. Such facts are not easily forgotten.

Attendees and panel speakers from Uganda, Rwanda, Borneo, and Sumatra who see injured and orphaned apes on a daily basis shared their expertise and frustration at fighting against the seemingly indefatigable beast of illegal poaching that is fueled by poverty, corruption and a lack of education in the very areas where these primates coexist with human populations. When even the native forests that are declared "protected" are still sold for extractive use to corporations around the world, it's hard to know who to turn to for help.

The most compelling panel discussion, in my opinion (and not surprisingly, if you've read my book), was over the ethics of of primates in captivity. Zoos, bioresearch, sanctuaries, and animal rights were politely and sometimes tensely discussed by experts like Dan Mathews, Vice President of PETA, and sanctuary director Jen Feuerstein. World-renown primatologists like Ian Redmond and Jill Pruetz wandered around with the rest of us and sometimes spoke up during panel discussions to share their input.

There is no denying that the threats to nonhuman primates are varied and numerous - from the bushmeat trade, poaching and hunting individual primates for capture and sale, to the way these beings are treated as objects in United States laboratories, exotic pet sales, and movie sets.

And yet, there was hope.

I met, spoke with, and was introduced to some pretty amazing people who have accomplished much already and are clearly destined to accomplish even more with their lives...People like Damien Mader, a former Australian Royal Navy Clearance Diver and Special Operations military sniper who is using his fine-honed military prowess to fight against poaching throughout Africa - someone who is so otherworldly and powerful that I have no doubt that he will continue to save animal lives as long as there is breath in his body. Google's chief technology advocate the man in charge of development for Google Earth and Google Maps, Michael Jones, provided the sort of clear, level-headed insight on how to best attract attention to the plight of animal conservation that is often, like the most obvious solutions are, overlooked. 

The more I talked to the real rock stars in the sanctuary and animal rights worlds, like the sanctuary director of Save The Chimps, the folks who run the Arcus Foundation, and lawyers from The Humane Society of The United States, the more I got to know them and see that they are just normal people; but they are normal people who happen to do amazing things with their life and as a result, they make life better for so many, many primates.

I was honored to see these people buying my book, and the more books I signed and saw being carried around the summit, the more I truly felt a part of this group of people doing what I consider to be one of the most things on this planet: being the voice for the voiceless.

One of the main events of the Great Ape Summit was a discussion with  legendary primatologist Jane Goodall and also well-known primatologist Richard Wrangham. During this presentation, a video was  shown of a chimpanzee that was rehabilitated into a life in the wild, after being rescued near death. It caused tears in just about every audience member. 

It's very clear to me that if people like Jane Goodall (who started with humble roots) can literally save chimpanzee lives, just as other Summit attendees save lives of orangutans, gorillas, bonobos and more, then anyone could, if they only tried.

Jane Goodall was often in attendance at the summit's various panels and events. At one point, I went up to her, introduced myself, and thanked her for coming to the summit. Very politely, she looked aorund and said, "Well, I had to, now didn't I?" 

I suppose I did too.

I saw this headline in a magazine on my flight out to Wyoming, and I saved it because I thought it was rather telling.

At one especially depressing point during the summit, I admitted to one of the event's creators that although it may sound foolish, I was still optimistic; In the face of some pretty horrifying and insurmountable conditions facing primates, I felt that there was still a point in pushing on towards a better place. The woman I was speaking to said that, as a matter of fact, she felt that we ALL were optimistic. 

Otherwise, we wouldn't have been there at all.

The Great Ape Summit took place in one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. 

I was not used to driving on roads that weren't crowded by trees and buildings... 

...and I was not used to seeing bison.

The Great Ape Summit was invigorating. It was both freeing and constricting at the same time, because I felt I belonged, but now that I know more about the struggles nonhuman primates face in this world, the more I know I must work to help them overcome the ties that bind them.

I barely slept in Wyoming. I was excited and my blood was pumping. When I called to update family members each day, they said they'd never heard me so happy. I think it was the synergy that did it to me. Every day was filled with thoughts of what I love, amongst other people who understood. I was sitting next to Jane Goodall in meetings and nodding my head along to some of the greatest minds in animal rights and conservation. I couldn't ask for more.  

Now that I'm home, I have no choice but to continue with this....I have momentum and don't seem to know how to stop.

I saw a baby bison running across a field of grass on my last evening in Wyoming. He was giddy and running, just for the hell of it and because it felt good. 

He sped up, caught up to the group he belonged with, and kept running, propelled by his spirit and the fresh air.

Do a happy dance!

I leave for the Great Apes Summit in one week!

Great Apes Summit

I am super excited to announce that in just a few weeks' time, I will be attending the Great Apes Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming! 

This incredible event was sponsored by the UN's GRASP (Great Apes Survival Partnership) Program and the Arcus Foundation (a major funder of nonprofits that benefit great apes, amongst other things). It will be two days of presentations and discussions of many, many topics relevant to Monkey Business, including illegal trading, captive apes, conservation, and ecotourism...followed by another two days that merge with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and continue with meetings about topics such as great apes and the law, and the future of great ape conservation.

I will have a table at which to promote and sell Monkey Business, so I've been busy getting things together to make this happen.

There will be guest speakers and panel experts, many of whom I look up to and many of whom (unsurprisingly) are in Monkey Business - folks like Sarah Baeckler Davis of the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, Richard Wrangham, Jane Goodall (who needs little introduction and is a legend in this field), and representatives from PETA, CITES, Save The Chimps, The Humane Society, and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International...I could keep listing the names.

But I won't.

Suffice to say, I CANNOT WAIT. I cannot wait to be surrounded by so many people who feel the same way I do about these incredible creatures. I cannot wait to share my book with people who will already "get" the topic and understand why I felt it so necessary to write this book. I cannot wait to learn from them and be a part of this amazing conference that will only serve to improve the lives of great apes, both in captivity and in the wild.

New press links

There is now a page on the right of the screen where I am compiling all the media attention for Monkey Business: A History of Nonhuman Primate Rights, like today's new story in CentralJersey.com! 

Click here to see the new page of media links.

I'm also working on an upcoming book signing (stay tuned, Massachusetts) and attending a truly amazing conference about great apes. Big stuff lies ahead.

Article in The Independent Community News

Special thanks to The Independent Community News, a local newspaper that printed an article about Monkey Business! 

I'll link to the article once it becomes available online.

For now, here's a picture of it.

Sightings

Monkey Business is starting to pop up in new places!

Special thank you to the Primate Rescue Center, who featured an article on my book in their newest newsletter mailing. I was pleasantly surprised to see my own book staring back at me as I leafed through the newsletter in my kitchen. I'm looking forward to working with the PRC and incorporating the book into events at their next Member Day in Spring 2014.

A sneaky mom was also able to catch her little one in action. Apparently my cover was designed well, because her daughter wanted to "read monkeys".

Let's keep these sightings coming!

So very true

Thanks to PETA for this image. The original can be viewed here.

The reality of owning a pet chimp

The image below is hard to read, but so incredibly spot-on, so check out the original here, thanks to the comic strip Ape Not Monkey by Jeffrey Weston.

Oh, and don't get a pet chimp!

The paperback is available!

Monkey Business: A History of Nonhuman Primate Rights is now available for purchase on Amazon.com and other book retailers!

Click here to purchase the paperback.

Signed copies are also available for no extra charge. Please email me at authorerikafleury@gmail.com for more information.

Happy reading!

Read a free sample of Monkey Business!

You may not have noticed, but I just added a spot on the right-hand side of this page that gives you a chance to read a chapter of Monkey Business: A History of Nonhuman Primate Rights for free!

You can also access this free sample by clicking here.

Click to read, and share your thoughts and questions with me anytime!

Should chimpanzees have legal rights?

Recently, the Boston Globe published a story about an upcoming trial led by animal rights lawyer Steven Wise,, that will attempt to grant legal personhood for a captive chimpanzee.

I discuss Mr. Wise's work in Monkey Business and also examine this concept of a chimpanzee's proposed "personhood", explaining 

Personhood need not be synonymous with humanness. Granting the personhood of animals does not require admittance that they are human, as, of course, by definition they're not. As Gary Francione puts it, "To say that a being is a person is merely to say that the being has morally significant interests, that the principle of equal consideration applies to that being, that the being is not a thing."[i] The benefits that accompany personhood, such as the right to liberty and the ability to perform natural behaviors, would be granted to nonhuman primates under this rights theory, but without personhood, future legal decisions must remain relegated to what Francione refers to as "micro-ethical issues."[ii] Concerns such as cage size, enrichment requirements, and nutritional regulations only distract from the larger issue of granting inherent rights to nonhuman primates. In Francione's words, "Is our exploitation of nonhumans justified in the first place?"[iii] Or have humans just grown ever more adept at crafting laws that make our exploitive treatment of nonhuman primates seem necessary and unavoidable?

[i] Francione, Animals as Persons, 61.

[ii] Francione, Animals, Property, 25.

[iii] Ibid., 25.

You can read the Boston Globe's article here. 

What are your thoughts? The personhood of nonhumans is a completely foreign idea to some people, but when you really think about it, you may come to some startling conclusions.

Want to read more about the personhood of nonhuman primates? Want to learn more about the fascinating insights of people like Steven Wise, Gary Francione, and Peter Singer? 

Buy the book!

Add another ebook site to the list...

Have you ever heard of Kobo? Me neither...until recently.

Kobo is a retailer of ebooks, and guess who is now on their site? 

My book can be seen here.

In about  one week, Monkey Business should also be available in the iBooks store, Barnes & Noble, and academic catalogs like Baker & Taylor and Library Direct from Smashwords, in addition to the paperback copy on Amazon!

Monkey Business for iBooks!

Good news - after some fussing and much learning, I have managed to get a perfect copy of Monkey Business: A History of Nonhuman Primate Rights available for sale for iBooks. I worked with a website called Smashwords, which also distributes my title in other formats for Palm and Sony devices and HTML for online reading.

For all you iBook fans (I am one myself), you can purchase Monkey Business or view a sample by clicking here. You'll see you will need to specify which format you want, but it is very simple to purchase the book.

More good news - a few days ago the book was in the top five Kindle downloads in the category of Apes & Monkeys. This makes me very, very happy.

And because many people are asking me...the paperback will be available soon. As soon as I can humanly make it available, in all honesty. I will shout it from the mountaintops as soon as this occurs.

In the meantime, thank you for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon.

Rankings, and the paperback's coming!

Hello everyone. I've been really touched by the messages of support and encouragement as people have heard about Monkey Business being available as a Kindle download. Thank you all!

Just wanted to share a few exciting tidbits:

First of all - I've received the paperback proof of my book, and it needed a few tweaks. I'm revising some spacing issues, and should be done in a few days. I would love nothing more than to sit down and bang this out in a day, but I'm working around my part-time day job and my one-year-old toddler's nap times. Take what you can get, I suppose! I'll order another proof to make sure the book is perfect, and then I will quickly alert the world that Monkey Business is ready for purchase as a paperback.

In the meantime, Monkey Business is currently ranked #7 for Amazon Kindle downloads in the "Apes & Monkeys" category. We're right behind the esteemed Jane Goodall, and beating out well known books like Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human and another by famous primatologist Duane Rumbaugh! 

If anyone would care to write an objective review, it would be much appreciated...

Happy reading!