Primatologist Maybe?

I love monkeys, apes, gorillas, orangutans and primates of all kinds. Always have. Always will. They intrigue me but more than that I feel this pull inside my gut, a deep inner connection to them. Maybe it has to do with some ancestral roots of some kind.

Whatever it is, something about them mesmerizes me and I could spend hours in their presence observing them. So far though, the only opportunities I’ve had to sit, watch, observe and spend as much time in the presence of these amazing creatures as I possibly can has been through TV programs, at zoos, or at wild nature farms that I’ve had the pleasure to visit.

Just recently I discovered that I’m not the only one in the family who shares a love for these furry animal friends. 13 year old Hanna, my niece's daughter, who is a grade seven student here in Kelowna, has always been interested in primates (chimps, gorillas and orangutans). In fact the very first essay she wrote in grade three was about orangutans. And even before that she started adopting gorillas through the Diane Fossey Foundation.

Last year Hanna went to Vancouver so she could listen to one of Jane Goodall amazing talks about her experiences and the state of our world. Talk about an opportunity to listen to and meet a mentor like her.

This year Hanna travelled with her parents to Indonesia to see some orangutans in their real life habitat. Orangutans are large apes that live on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. “The word ‘orangutan’ means “man of the forest” in the Malay language. As its habitats are being usurped by man, the orangutan’s population is decreasing and it is in grave danger of extinction.” To find out more about the orangutan and how to help go to http://www.orangutan.org/

These pictures of Hanna and the orangutans were taken in Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan Province of Borneo, Indonesia. If you look closely at the second picture you will see Hanna holding the baby's hand.

Right now Hanna is saving up to go to Africa. Her dream, in the not too distant future, is to become a primatologist one day. Good for you Hanna. This world needs more people like you who do what they have to do to reach their dream. You go girl. A primatologist? Yes for sure! Not maybe.