The Chimpanzee Whisperer: A Life of Love and Loss, Compassion and Conservation

by Stany Nyandwi, David Blissett (Editor), Jane Morris Goodall DBE (Foreword by)

Overview

From survivor of genocide to conservation hero: A moving, heartwarming memoir about a real-life chimpanzee whisperer—now the subject of the award-winning documentary film Pant Hoot.

Stany Nyandwi’s gift for communicating with chimpanzees is so special that world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall has called him a “chimpanzee whisperer.” His skills and devotion to these creatures—our closest living relatives, with whom we share 98.7 percent of our DNA—have earned him international awards and sent him on travels within Africa and around the world. But he began life in poverty, born and raised in a dirt-floor, straw-roofed hut in rural Burundi. The Chimpanzee Whisperer is the story of his astonishing life journey.

It is also an African story. Receiving only an elementary education before he quit school, he suffered injustice and tragic loss because of his ethnic group. He began caring for orphaned and rescued chimps in Burundi. When the country descended into civil war and genocide, he was forced to flee with the chimps and endured long separation from his family. Continuing to work with and learn about chimpanzees in Kenya, Uganda, and later South Africa, he made himself into an incomparable authority.

His memoir has adventure, danger, and many unique and touching stories about chimpanzees that show his bond with and understanding of them. As told to award-winning author David Blissett, it reveals a remarkable man who has refused to let circumstances defeat him. Conditioned by hate, wounded by loss, he has lived for love, faith, and compassion, giving new life, as Dr. Jane Goodall writes in her foreword, “to so many chimpanzees whose families, like his own, were torn apart by violence.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781950994328
Publisher:	Arcade
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	521,329
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Stany Nyandwi is a leading chimpanzee caregiver and behavioral specialist, awarded and celebrated around the globe. He is currently the primate manager at the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa Sanctuary, Chimp Eden. In 2019 Stany was the subject of the multi-award-winning short documentary, Pant Hoot, which also features Dr. Jane Goodall. He lives in Uganda with his wife and eight children, four of whom they adopted.

David Blissett is an award-winning author of fiction as well as numerous nonfiction works, including Snake Catcher, cowritten with Tony Harrison; Our Primate Family, cowritten with primate expert and conservationist Lou Grossfeldt; and Reflections of Elephants, with photographer Bobby-Jo Clow. He lives in Sydney, Australia.

Table of Contents

Authors' Note vii

Foreword Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE ix

Prologue A Spot of Tea and an Escapee 1

Chapter 1 Growing Up in a Land of Broken Hearts 5

Chapter 2 Houseboy Finds Halfway House 19

Chapter 3 Apocalypse Looms 34

Chapter 4 Freedom Flights and Homelessness 47

Chapter 5 Courting Death-Choosing Life 62

Chapter 6 An Island of Shells … and Chimps 76

Chapter 7 Reputation, Integration, and Chimp Tales 91

Chapter 8 What Family Means 110

Chapter 9 Culture Shocks, Candy, and Commendations 126

Chapter 10 What Is Justice? 141

Chapter 11 Moving On 155

Chapter 12 Working in Eden 169

Chapter 13 Riding the Same Truck 184

Helping Chimps 194

Acknowledgments 199

Editorial Reviews

Winner of a 2022 Audiofile magazine Earphones Award

“It was clear from the start that he had a real gift for working with these creatures. . . . He was able to communicate with them in a special way to the point that we called him a ‘chimpanzee whisperer.’ . . . I hope you will be inspired by this life story of a gentle, unassuming African man whose devotion and sacrifice has given new life to so many chimpanzees whose families, like his own, were torn apart by violence.”—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, from her foreword

“An incredible true story about one of the most courageous, loving, and kind people we have ever worked with. Stany has a unique gift with chimpanzees. He understands them and they understand him. The bond Stany shares with our closest living relative is a testament to the small distance that divides us, and argues even more strongly for their protection.”—Vanessa Woods and Professor Brian Hare, New York Times bestselling authors of The Genius of Dogs
 
"The story of a gifted and utterly unique man. Stany's is a story of accomplishment in the face of overwhelming adversity and the power of love over injustice and hate. Beautifully told and very inspiring."—Patti Ragan, founding director, Center for Great Apes, Wauchula, Florida

“Stany’s harrowing story is about survival and trust—his trust of fellow human beings, who sometimes failed him, and his love for his friends the chimps and their love for him, which allowed him to survive when humans faltered. Most of all it is about the unconditional love we must all have for each other, for the animals and for our planet. David Blissett has beautifully told Stany’s story. Please read and enjoy.”—Bernie Caulfield, Emmy-winning producer of Game of Thrones

“Ever since meeting Stany Nyandwi in Uganda, I have been fascinated by how well he understands chimpanzees, and how calm they are in his presence. This comes through clearly in his truly inspiring and gripping memoir, which also tells an important story about the ethnic conflict in his country of Burundi and how he overcame significant challenges as a refugee.”—Glady Kalema-Zikusoka, wildlife veterinarian, founder of Conservation Through Public Health, and author of Walking with Gorillas

"The Chimpanzee Whisperer is a great read. . . . One thing that strikes you is the phenomenal understanding Stany has of chimps and their behaviour. . . . The complexities of human /wildlife conflict are explained. . . . There are funny yet awful scenes, . . . And there are really moving sections in the book, . . .Reminding us we should all be riding the same truck!"—alysontheblog

"This book is an emotional roller-coaster ride. . . . Throughout we are saved by the author’s indefatigable positivity and humanity—perhaps, the traits that allowed him to get along so well with the chimpanzees. I’d highly recommend it for all readers."—The In(tro)verted Yogi

 

From the Publisher

10/01/2022

Dr. Jane Goodall once dubbed Stany Nyandwi the "Chimpanzee Whisperer," for his special way of connecting with even the fiercest chimpanzees. In this memoir, Nyandwi (now the subject of the award-winning documentary Pant Hoot) tells of growing up in bitterly poor conditions in the East African nation of Burundi, bordering Rwanda. When the ethnic civil war between the Hutus and the Tutsis erupted, Nyandwi fled to Uganda's Lake Victoria, the future site of the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Nyandwi went on to become a leading chimpanzee authority in Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa. Narrator Dion Graham imbues Nyandwi's words with sincerity and warmth. Graham's characterization of Nyandwi is so successful that listeners may forget that Graham, rather than Nyandwi, is speaking. Listeners will be captivated by this remarkable account, which ranges from humorous recollections of chimpanzees captaining boats to sorrowful tales of wounded animals. VERDICT This inspirational and astonishing story is sure to appeal to animal lovers and conservationists alike. An excellent addition to any public library collection.—Sarah Hashimoto

Library Journal - Audio