Press Release | Speaker Series
The Leakey Foundation has partnered with the Chicago Council on Science and Technology, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and Columbia College Chicago to bring primate behavioral ecologist John Mitani to Chicago for two exciting events about chimpanzee behavior.
John Mitani is the James N. Spuhler Collegiate Professor and associate chair of anthropology at the University of Michigan. He is an animal behaviorist who studies the behavior of our closest living relatives, the apes. His current research involves a long-term study of an unusually large community of chimpanzees at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda.
Lecture
On November 8 at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Cafe Brauer, Mitani will give a talk entitled “What Makes Us Human? Lessons from the Study of Wild Chimpanzees.” In this talk, he will reveal intriguing parallels between humans and chimpanzees with respect to friendships, longevity, and cooperation. Studies of the Ngogo chimpanzees indicate that the gap between them and us in these regards may be smaller than previously thought. These findings furnish new insights into chimpanzee behavior and are particularly relevant as we continue to struggle to conserve the dwindling populations of these animals.
Film Screening
November 9 at the Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago, there will be a free screening of the award-winning documentary “Rise of the Warrior Apes.” Filmed over 23 years, Rise of the Warrior Apes tells the epic story of an extraordinary troop of chimpanzees in Ngogo, Uganda – featuring four mighty warriors who rule through moral ambiguity, questionable politics, strategic alliances, and destroyed trust. This remarkable film reveals groundbreaking insights into animal behavior and even into human evolution. Rise of the Warrior Apes won the 2017 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and the WWF Golden Panda, best script, and best sound at the 2018 Wildscreen Panda Awards.
5:30 PM Complimentary Reception
6:00 PM Film Screening
After the screening, join Dr. John Mitani for a behind-the-scenes look at the research that informed this fascinating documentary.
