Planet Ape

The definitive guide to the great apes and how they compare with us, their closest living relatives. Gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans are only a hair's breadth away from us in evolutionary terms; our DNA differs by just a few percent. These fascinating creatures hold up a mirror to humanity, giving us insights into our past, our present and perhaps even our future. Planet Ape reveals the great apes in unprecedented detail: where they live, how they live and the challenges they face. Using innovative artworks, photographs and text, the book makes key comparisons between apes and human beings, including: Anatomy Diet Social life Courtship and breeding Physical and mental development Communication. From peace-loving bonobos to warring chimpanzee communities and from highly sociable gorillas to solitary orangutans, Planet Ape is the first book to do justice to the diversity and complexity of the ape world and what it tells us about our own. Unimaginable habitat loss, war, hunting and disease all threaten to wipe the great apes from the wild. Planet Ape seizes the moment, examining attempts to safeguard these species, including reserves, captive breeding and reintroduction. A proportion of the royalties will be donated to charities working to conserve apes, so buying this book makes an immediate, practical contribution. A spectacular and authoritative survey of our nearest non-human relatives, full of insight about them - and about ourselves. -- David Attenborough