The 'extended' family!

kaakkai kuruvi engal jaadhi
- Bharathiyar

So sings the maha kavi, in one of his expansive moods: translated, it means, "The Crow, and the Sparrow: they are our kin". For us, after the Darwinian enlightenment, it is but natural to feel a kinship not just with crows and sparrows but also with apes. Go here for a photo exhibition called Face to Face consisting of passport style portraits of apes. The profile of one of them called Chim is truly moving:

Parents killed for bushmeat trade. Left at sanctuary by Cameroonian environmental journalist who had kept her like a child, dressed her, bathed her, etc. Bad mouth injury, riddled with worms. Had been made to dance in order to receive food. Still dances when not fed on demand.

Go here to know what Chimp means to some individuals and here for a brief history of Chimps: the same issue of Nature also published the Chimp draft genome sequence, if you are so inclined. And while we are at it, take a look at this book review about discovering the Inner Ape.