There were many who urged me not to get involved with orphan chimps. It would be costly, and we would have to care for them throughout their long lives (as long as sixty years), for they can almost never be returned to the wild. It would be better, I was told, to use the precious dollars to try to save the wild chimpanzees and their habitat. Others felt I should help the African people rather than “mere” animals. But for me there was no dilemma.
