New academic words 5

The Banana Club

1. Jane Goodall arrived at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park in 1960. She was considered somewhat unconventional among other animal researchers. After all, she had not yet been to college. Nevertheless, Jane was determined to study chimpanzees in their rugged mountainous habitat. Jane believed that by learning more about the chimps, she could help save their dwindling numbers. Jane was determined to make a difference.
2. When Jane first attempted to observe the chimps, she could only get within 500 yards of them before they bolted away into the lush tropical rain forest. She learned to establish a pattern and appear to the chimps every morning at the same time near their feeding area. She’d sit motionless, with bananas and notepad in hand, and observe their behavior.
3. After two years, the chimps accepted her and came to her searching for bananas. The “Banana Club” was born! Goodall used this term to describe the daily systematic feeding method that allowed her to become closely acquainted with the chimps.
4. Rather than numbering the chimps as scientific subjects, Jane gave them names, like “Fifi” and “David Greybeard.” Moreover, she spent time with them in trees, imitated their behavior, and even ate their food! Goodall’s fellow researchers viewed these techniques as controversial; however, today she is considered one of the world’s leading primatologists.