Bonobo's, Chimpanzees and Humans all occupy the same twig on the ape branch of the tree of evolution. Why do we allow the slaughter of our genetic cousins for food? We will soon exterminate relatives we have lived with for millions of years, and I can see no benefit at all for making things unfit for our kind in the homeland we all originated from. Trade in all of our near relatives in all forms should cease and we should accord the same respect we would demand ourselves. Anyone who looks at a caged Chimp or Bonobo and feels anything less than pity and empathy could not possess the human emotion of compassion.
This is not an issue about save all the forests, make all of the problems man has wrought on the world go away. We simply should allow a little room on the greatest continent (after all WE ALL came from there originally) for our hairy little relatives. Who knows - if we ever die out due to disease or by our own stupidity they may have the task of ensuring that, the same as we have, Apes rule. |
