Almost human : a biography of Julius the chimpanzee
Fidjestøl, Alfred2019
Book
ALMOST HUMAN tells the remarkable story of Julius the chimpanzee, born in the Kristiansand Zoo in Norway, and rejected by his mother at just six weeks old. The zoo director and his family fostered Julius with the aim of returning him to his tribe, but Julius wasn't in any rush to reconnect and the tribe repeatedly snubbed him. Despite regular attempts to reintroduce Julius to zoo life, he often returned to his human home. Julius' story soon caught the imagination of the Norwegian people and he became the star of his own TV show - the nation following his story as he grew up. Finally, after twenty-five turbulent years that saw daring escape attempts, failed relationships, rejection and injury, Julius was settled into a different chimpanzee tribe. Today, at almost forty years old, he enjoys life as a contented alpha chimpanzee with two of his own offspring. ALMOST HUMAN explores more than this unique chimpanzee's life - it examines how our treatment of animals in captivity has changed over the decades, how the mind of a chimpanzee works, and how much we have in common with the primates who share 98.6% of our DNA. This powerful story shows how Julius was faced with the very same challenges we humans experience - the need for food and safety, the desire for love and sex, how to negotiate status and power, and finding ways to deal with loneliness, sorrow and death. It reminds us that what we all require is very simple: a loving family and a place to call home.
Main title:
Almost human : a biography of Julius the chimpanzee / Alfred Fidjestøl ; translated by Becky L. Crook.
Author:
Fidjestøl, Alfred, authorCrook, Becky L., translator
Imprint:
Sydney, NSW : Hachette Australia, 2019.©2019.
Collation:
243 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : chielfy colour illustrations, chiefly colour portraits ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-209) and index.Translated from the Norwegian.
Contents:
Introduction -- Chapter 1: Nature and nurture -- Chapter 2: Happy days -- Chapter 3: A room of one's own -- Chapter 4: Home for Christmas -- Chapter 5: Monkey business -- Chapter 6: A fugitive crosses his tracks -- Chapter 7: Crime and punishment -- Chapter 8: Four weddings and a funeral -- Chapter 9: The child -- Chapter 10: King of the apes -- Chapter 11: End game -- Chapter 12: These eyes -- Bibliography -- Endnotes -- Index -- About the author.
ISBN:
9780733642791 (paperback)
Dewey class:
636.98844636.9884
Language:
EnglishNorwegian
Subject:
Julius, (Chimpanzee), 1979-Captive chimpanzees -- BehaviorCaptive chimpanzees -- Norway -- BiographyChimpanzees -- NorwayChimpanzees -- PsychologyFamous animals -- NorwayHuman-animal relationships -- NorwayZoo animals -- NorwayZoo animals -- Social aspectsZoos -- Social aspectsZoos -- NorwayBiographies
BRN:
93073