Quote of the Day: Jane Goodall on the Human Animal

Millions of people do not realize how closely connected we humans are with the rest of the animal kingdom. They do not realize that we ourselves are animals. Instead, they perceive a false reality in which humans stand on one side of an unbridgeable chasm and the rest of the animal kingdom stands on the other.

Imagine a chimpanzee, so like us in so many ways, reaching out to us across that chasm. There is an unspoken question. "Will you acknowledge me as 'kin'" If you dare look into his eyes and take hold of his hand, he will look back toward the other animal beings and then back to you with a question, "What about them? Don't they matter too?" Indeed, the great apes are like us in so many ways that they serve as ambassadors for all the wonderful animals with whom we share the planet."

—Jane Goodall, The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for The Animals We Love (2003, HarperOne)