I cannot remember a time when I did not want to go to Africa to study animals.

There are many animal-welfare groups that sometimes seem to forget that human beings are animals too, that we need to include them in our sphere of compassion.

You can't do everything. You can't do health and forestry and agriculture. You've got to focus and do one or the other.

Other people have talked about chimpanzees being a window into the past, which I suppose is true, in a way.

If plants could be credited with reasoning powers, we would marvel at the imaginative ways they bribe or ensnare other creatures to carry out their wishes.

I've got different ideas of complete happiness. But one is being by myself out in a forest, completely happy. Another is walking with a dog in some nice place. And three is sitting around preferably a fire, but not necessarily, and drinking red wine with friends and telling stories.

Chimps are very quick to have a sudden fight or aggressive episode, but they're equally as good at reconciliation.