Talking Apes

Did tool-use lead to talking?
Dr. Gilly Forrester’s groundbreaking research has contributed significantly to our understanding of the evolution of language in humans. Her work, focused on the cognitive abilities of great apes, has highlighted fascinating discoveries about their use of tools and problem solving abilities.
"We share an incredible evolutionary history with other great apes."
One of Gilly's observations has been that apes can modify tools to make them more effective, suggesting a level of cognitive flexibility that was previously thought to be unique to humans. Furthermore, they use tools for a wide range of purposes, including foraging, hunting and communication. Gilly proposes that tool use may have been a precursor to the development of language in humans.
Join us this week on Talking Apes Podcast where Dr Gillian Forrester shares her captivating findings on how tool-use may have been the evolutionary stepping stone that laid the foundations for the language that we humans we use today.
Gillian Forrester is Professor of Evolutionary and Developmental Psychology at the University of Sussex. She holds her PhD in Experimental Psychology form the University of Oxford. To learn more about her work visit:
gillianforrester.com
mehuman.iosussex.ac.uk/gillian-forrester*Please note, the chimpanzee in the header photo is behind glass. Primate professionals do not condone direct human-ape contact unless in an emergency situation.

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Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
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Gadget Recycler-Ape Lover. This is how Eric Ronay signs off on all his emails.
From his warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky, Eric works diligently to not only save gorillas and their habitats, but also to save our precious environment while enacting lasting culture change.
Eric, whose vision is clearly seen through the work that Eco-Cell does, wants to empower people, especially teenagers and young adults, to demand sustainable changes within the technology world.
'What we do is a labour of love - I want to see a different kind of consumption culture.'

In an average cell phone, there are several rare minerals. Coltan, for instance, is a mineral that makes tantalum. Tantalum is what allows cell phones and many other handheld electronics to hold a charge. 80% of the world’s coltan is in the Democratic Republic of Congo which is also home to endangered gorillas. Mining of coltan (and other minerals) disrupts and destroys their habitats.
'Everybody's got these old cell phones, nobody knows what to do with them, they don’t know what’s in them, they don’t know they affect wildlife.'

To mitigate this, Eric started Eco-Cell in 2003. Eco-Cell recycles, reuses, and resells cell phones and other electronics. Since its inception, Eco-Cell has safely recycled nearly one million cell phones and raised close to one million dollars for gorilla conservation.

Eric Ronay is a gorilla champion. He has made it his mission to save gorillas and raise awareness of their dire need for protection and increased conservation efforts. He does this by educating children and teenagers about cell phones and other electronics. He inspires them to contact technology companies and demand “gorilla-safe” technologies.
His hope is that, with his education and partnerships with zoos and aquariums, electronics will be kept longer and longer, diminishing the need for increased mining. Eric wants everyone to realize that they do not have to trade in their phone every year for the newest version. Eric is striving for sustainable technology which will positively impact not only the gorillas, but the planet as well.
Episode description by Maegan Leavendusky - Programs Co-ordinator for GLOBIO

Click HERE to visit Eco-Cell's website.
Click HERE to find your closest Eco-Cell drop off point.

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Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
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Mountain gorilla tourism owes its legacy to one man - Praveen Moman. A visionary conservationist and entrepreneur, Praveen is also called the father of great ape ecotourism in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda.
Praveen grew up surrounded by Uganda's natural beauty so his passion for conservation was sparked at an early age. After graduating university, he worked for several years in conservation projects in Africa, including as a researcher in Rwanda’s Virunga National Park, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas.
"When you see a gorilla, there's a recognition of some deep connection between you."
In 1997, he founded Volcanoes Safaris with the goal of promoting sustainable tourism in Uganda and Rwanda. The company’s mission is to provide unique and authentic travel experiences while supporting local communities and protecting the environment. Volcanoes Safaris operates several luxury lodges and camps, including the award-winning Virunga Lodge, which offers stunning views of the Virunga Mountains and the nearby gorilla habitats.
"Our priority should be to look after the local people. People have got to be part of the conservation chain."
Volcanoes Safaris has become a model for sustainable tourism, and the company’s efforts have contributed to the growth of Rwanda’s tourism industry. The ethos is based around community conservation - working closely with local communities to ensure that they benefit from conservation efforts. Volcanoes Safaris works with several local community groups, including women’s cooperatives and youth groups, to provide training and employment opportunities in the tourism industry. Volcanoes also supports several conservation initiatives, such as the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, which provides medical care to gorillas in the wild.

Click here to visit Volcanoes Safaris Website

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Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
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Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a vet, conservationist, and founder of Conservation through Public Health. Join us this week on Talking Apes where she tells us about her new book Walking with Gorillas, which chronicles her journey towards becoming Uganda's first-ever wildlife veterinarian, and details her innovative approach to gorilla conservation.

Gladys's work has been revolutionary in the field of gorilla protection. She recognized early on that the health of the local human populations was closely intertwined with the health of the gorillas living in the nearby forests when she ascertained that zoonotic and anthroponotic infections were jumping between the animals and people surrounding Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
In 2023 she co-founded award-winning NGO, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), with her husband. The organization deploys a novel approach known as ONE HEALTH which focuses on the interconnectivity of human, animal, and environmental health. CTPH's numerous programs work with local communities to improve access to basic healthcare services while promoting conservation awareness and sustainable livelihoods; in turn protecting the health of nearby gorillas.
"You need to address human and wildlife health together in order to have holistic outcomes."

"One Health is being recognized in the conservation community as a viable way to achieve sustainable development."

Gladys detailed some of the difficulties she initially faced as, not just the first woman, but first ever individual tackling the role of wildlife veterinarian in Uganda. Her determination to succeed broke barriers and has paved the way for future generations of female conservationists in Uganda and across the African continent.
"Conservation is about understanding that people are part of the equation."

Gladys and CTPH's approach to gorilla conservation is recognized as an effective model for other programs around the world. Her focus on the links between human and animal health and wellbeing has been instrumental in promoting sustainable conservation practices that benefit both people and wildlife.
Our episode with Gladys is the closing chapter of our special March 2023 zoonosis and disease ecology month. You can find all of the other episodes in this series exploring scary viruses, animal infections, and pandemics

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Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
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At 22 years old, Rachel Hogan never dreamed that a three month volunteering trip to Africa would result in her becoming the director of one of the world's largest and most well known primate sanctuaries.
Over two decades later, Rachel remains on the edge of Cameroon's rainforests overseeing fifty human residents and 300 non-human residents - a growing hoard of gorillas, chimps, and monkeys now living in Ape Action Africa's 17 ginormous forest enclosures.
The sanctuary is a lifeline for endangered baby chimpanzees and gorillas that have been illegally stolen from the wild, victims of the bushmeat trade - their parents killed and the babies sold on as pets.
Ape Action Africa supports the government by making confiscations of these animals possible, and providing lifelong care to the orphaned apes and monkeys that show up at their gates.
Listen to Rachel tell us about the unpredictable and sometimes chaotic day to day life at the sanctuary, the tiny baby gorilla that persuaded her to stay forever, and the recent events that have given her a greater hope for the future of great apes in Africa.
To learn more about Ape Action Africa visit: apeactionafrica.org
Support their work: here
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Support the show

Talking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO.
Official website: talkingapes.org
Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast
Twitter: @talking_apes
BUY OUR MERCH