Chimpanzee Research

Chimpanzee Research

A great deal of effective Chimpanzee research started with the efforts of Jane Goodall in 1960. She paved the way for introducing us to a variety of things about these animals. The influence she had also encouraged many other people to passionately take part in other research efforts involving them.

In some studies they have been taught sign language. They were able to use it consistently both to communicate and to recite what they were told. This tells us that they have amazing memories. The fact that they can also recognize members of their family that may no longer live in the same troop is important.

The fact that the Chimpanzee is so intelligent has paved the way for various forms of research. They have been taught how to communicate in various ways. It is believed that they have excellent memories. They are able to remember patterns, to problem solve, and even how to be manipulative.

It is strongly believed that such behaviors are quite complex though and that they are learned rather than by nature. The more information that these animals have the easier it is for them to make solid decisions. It is believed that they can formulate their own perceptions of what they observe as well.

In captivity there are often games played with Chimpanzees. In fact, some of them put them to the challenge against well known intelligent humans. In these memory games the Chimpanzees often win! Many find this to be very interesting while others are skeptical about such results.

Chimpanzee research shows that they have highly functional cognitive abilities. They also have the ability to remember events that have occurred in the past. What is also very interesting though is that they seem to have the ability to plan for events they feel will occur in the future.

Not everyone is a fan of Chimpanzee research on various levels though. Many argue that these animals need to be left alone. There are 10 known laboratories in the United States today where over 1,000 Chimpanzees are housed. Most of them have come from zoos or from circus acts.

These animals are often the victims of operations and even being exposed to dangerous diseases. The goal is to try to find methods of healing them so that the same procedures may one day help humans. The controversy continues about the degree of such research. How far should it be allowed to go in order to help humans thrive?

It is that mentality and red tape that often holds up more advanced forms of Chimpanzee research. The ethical side of it can be played out on both sides of the fence. While there are certainly benefits of such research there is also the issue that humans don’t have the right to do as they wish with animals. There are groups that would love to try various forms of cancer research on Chimpanzees.

The idea is that they are very closely related to humans so they would react similar to the cancer cells. Then different forms of treatment could be offered that are in testing stages. The answer here could be something that helps to increase the chances of cancer survival. It can also be something that leads us to finding a cure for it.

The ideas concerning such Chimpanzee research though are now well beyond what was originally just observing them. The fact that they have emotions and they can feel pain is something else to take into consideration. We certainly shouldn’t be putting them at risk or doing anything that can be considered cruelty to them.