--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave…" description: "\"Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, nev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg" --- # Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for… ![“Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.” quote by Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg) > “Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.” [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts primate societies, which live sustainably within ecosystems, with human societies that often overexploit resources, implying that non‑human primates exemplify ecological balance. **In simple terms:** Primates thrive without harming their habitats. Key Takeaway Human progress can learn from primate harmony. Themes environmental sustainability human impact primate behavior ecological balance conservation ethics Mood reflective hopeful critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - wildlife management - environmental education - policy making - sustainable development - eco‑tourism Key Concepts population dynamics resource use habitat preservation Practical Applications - designing low‑impact human settlements - informing conservation strategies Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can human societies extract from primate ecological practices? - How might we measure success beyond economic growth? A Different Perspective Some argue that primate populations are limited by ecological constraints and cannot be directly compared to human socio‑economic systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chimpanzees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/) [Chimpanzees Gorillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees-gorillas-434342/) [Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forest/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [Gorillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gorillas/) [Gorillas Orangutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gorillas-orangutan-434343/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Orangutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orangutan-137046/) [Orangutans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orangutans/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [...chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans are thinking, self-aware beings, capable of planning ahead, who form lasting social bonds with others and have a rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/chimpanzees-bonobos-gorillas-and-orangutans-are-thinking-self-aware/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The fact that all our ape cousins - chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans - can acquire signs - is powerful evidence that our hominid ancestors'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-fouts/the-fact-that-all-our-ape-cousins-chimpanzees-gorillas-and-orangutans/) [Roger Fouts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-fouts/) > [We admit that we are like apes, but we seldom realise that we are apes. Our common ancestor with the chimpanzees and gorillas is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-admit-that-we-are-like-apes-but-we-seldom-realise-that-we-are-apes-2/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Orangutan babies are like human babies: helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-smits/orangutan-babies-are-like-human-babies-helpless/) [Willie Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-smits/) > [The pipe marks the point at which the orangutan ends and man begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-pipe-marks-the-point-at-which-the-orangutan-ends-and-man-begins/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Orangutan are very weird animals but they look very soulful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/orangutan-are-very-weird-animals-but-they-look-very-soulful/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [...people who believe in God think God has put human beings on earth because they think human beings are the best animal, but human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/people-who-believe-in-god-think-god-has-put-human-beings-on-earth/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [No wonder circus animals do what they do: They tortured them. And you know the only ones they can't control? It's the chimpanzees. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/no-wonder-circus-animals-do-what-they-do-they-tortured-them-and-you/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) > [Our social life is literally primal, in the sense that chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives among the primates, are also social.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/our-social-life-is-literally-primal-in-the-sense-that-chimpanzees-and/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Its important to remember that we evolved. Now, I know thats a dirty word for some people, but we evolved from common ancestors with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-leakey/its-important-to-remember-that-we-evolved-now-i-know-thats-a-dirty/) [Louise Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-leakey/) > [Put another way, the chimpanzees' closest relative is not the gorilla but humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/put-another-way-the-chimpanzees-closest-relative-is-not-the-gorilla/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Shave a gorilla and it would be almost impossible, at twenty paces, to distinguish him from a heavyweight champion of the world. Skin a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/shave-a-gorilla-and-it-would-be-almost-impossible-at-twenty-paces-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Rather than something like King Kong where I really went after studying gorillas in the wild and captivity. I based Caesar \[ from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/rather-than-something-like-king-kong-where-i-really-went-after/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [“I am the orangutan of love. OK, who am I kidding? I’m merely the love monkey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-the-orangutan-of-love-ok-who-am-i-kidding-i-m-merely-the-love/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I open the orangutan's door and set a pan of fruits, vegetables, and nuts on the floor. As I close it, her long arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/i-open-the-orangutan-s-door-and-set-a-pan-of-fruits-vegetables-and/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) ## More by Jane Goodall > [The voice of the natural world would be, "Could you please give us space and leave us alone to get along with our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-voice-of-the-natural-world-would-be-could-you-please-give-us/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/what-makes-us-human-i-think-is-an-ability-to-ask-questions-a/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I did this book 'Harvest for Hope,' and I learned so much about food. And one thing I learned is that we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-did-this-book-harvest-for-hope-and-i-learned-so-much-about-food-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/from-my-perspective-i-absolutely-believe-in-a-greater-spiritual-power/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We are always talking about how we can get more environmental and humanitarian education. It is about listening to the voice of young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-are-always-talking-about-how-we-can-get-more-environmental-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some humans are mathematicians-others aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-humans-are-mathematicians-others-aren-t/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We started off with physical evolution and got our form. Then we somehow developed language, which meant cultural evolution could race so we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-started-off-with-physical-evolution-and-got-our-form-then-we/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I wanted to talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wanted-to-talk-to-the-animals-like-dr-dolittle/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some people say, therefore, that violence and war are inevitable. I say rubbish: Our brains are fully capable of controlling instinctive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-people-say-therefore-that-violence-and-war-are-inevitable-i-say/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-been-proven-by-quite-a-few-studies-that-plants-are-good-for-our/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Having respect for animals makes us better humans..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/having-respect-for-animals-makes-us-better-humans/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/if-we-kill-off-the-wild-then-we-are-killing-a-part-of-our-souls/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“We still have a long way to go. But we are moving in the right direction. If only we can overcome cruelty, to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go-but-we-are-moving-in-the-right/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Hundreds and thousands of young people around the world can break through and can make this a better world for all living things. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/hundreds-and-thousands-of-young-people-around-the-world-can-break/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) [Explore all 321 Jane Goodall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## More Chimpanzees quotes > [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Through my work with PETA, I have learned a great deal about chimpanzee behavior and the plight of chimpanzees imprisoned in laboratories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/through-my-work-with-peta-i-have-learned-a-great-deal-about/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [I sometimes try to imagine what would have happened if we’d known the bonobo first and the chimpanzee only later—or not at all. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/i-sometimes-try-to-imagine-what-would-have-happened-if-we-d-known-the/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Basically we are chimpanzees with about two percent more intelligence and a little less hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/basically-we-are-chimpanzees-with-about-two-percent-more-intelligence/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [It is hardly an exaggeration to say that a chimpanzee kept in solitude is not a real chimpanzee at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-kohler/it-is-hardly-an-exaggeration-to-say-that-a-chimpanzee-kept-in/) [Wolfgang Kohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-kohler/) > [“Lucy preferred gin and tonics during the summer and switched over to whiskey sours in the winter. At dinner, a sit-down affair with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hess/lucy-preferred-gin-and-tonics-during-the-summer-and-switched-over-to/) [Elizabeth Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hess/) > [I got to Africa. I got the opportunity to go and learn, not about any animal, but chimpanzees. I was living in my dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-got-to-africa-i-got-the-opportunity-to-go-and-learn-not-about-any/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [The suffix 'naut' comes from the Greek and Latin words for ships and sailing. Astronaut suggests 'a sailor in space.' Chimponaut suggests 'a chimpanzee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/the-suffix-naut-comes-from-the-greek-and-latin-words-for-ships-and/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Certainly the first true humans were unique by virtue of their large brains. It was because the human brain is so large when compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/certainly-the-first-true-humans-were-unique-by-virtue-of-their-large/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than another if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-the-good-of-words-if-they-aren-t-important-enough-to-quarrel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Rather than something like King Kong where I really went after studying gorillas in the wild and captivity. I based Caesar \[ from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/rather-than-something-like-king-kong-where-i-really-went-after/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [What a dull universe it would be if everything in it conformed to our expectations, if it held nothing to surprise or baffle us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/what-a-dull-universe-it-would-be-if-everything-in-it-conformed-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I guess I'm just an old mad scientist at bottom. Give me an underground laboratory, half a dozen atom-smashers, and a beautiful girl in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-m-just-an-old-mad-scientist-at-bottom-give-me-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fact that all our ape cousins - chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans - can acquire signs - is powerful evidence that our hominid ancestors'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-fouts/the-fact-that-all-our-ape-cousins-chimpanzees-gorillas-and-orangutans/) [Roger Fouts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-fouts/) [Browse all 164 Chimpanzees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Goodall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chimpanzees" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-bee_33651.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living…” — Jane Goodall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jane Goodall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```