Hello everybody!

I just thought I would write to introduce myself – I’m Kirsten, and I’m going to be working here at DFB until the end of the year. I will be covering Hannah’s position, as she has just had a baby! We are all very excited and happy for Hannah.

I’m thrilled to be starting here, as I have been a fan of DFB books for a long time. I recently read Kenneth Oppel’s brilliant new novel Half Brother and haven’t been able to stop talking about it (not least because my own brother sometimes acts a bit like a chimp)! Oppel explores the relationship between men and other primates from a wonderfully fresh perspective, and asks difficult questions about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity and using them for scientific research. Many of us know that chimpanzees (like Zan) are the closest living relative to humans, but did you know any of these facts about primates?

• Apart from humans, Chimpanzees use tools more than any other animal
• Monkeys eat bananas in the same way that we do – they peel them, and don’t eat the skin
• Gorillas can catch human colds
• Each gorilla has a unique nose print – a bit like our human fingerprints!

Just how different are we?

If you haven’t already picked up the book, I would strongly recommend it.