The Wauchula Woods Accord

Way back when (although I can't seem to find it among my archives, which makes me wonder about the intricacies of my labeling system...) I wrote about New York Times writer Charles Siebert's new book about retirement homes for chimpanzees. The book is out and it is called The Wauchula Woods Accord and from the tiny bit I have read (downloaded on my Kindle of course!), I highly recommend it.

The author investigates what happens to former primate movie stars as well as those used for research. As you will see, there are many different types of retirement "communities" for these animals and some fare better than others. What is interesting is that the author develops a personal relationship with one retired chimp, Roger, with whom he spends many hours bonding in unique ways, most of which require intense introspection on his part.

Lisa Brown, over on www.animalinventory.com, has posted a wonderful interview with the author as well as a thoughtful and thought-provoking review. Check it out before you commit to the purchase. She also touches on one of his previous books, Angus, written entirely from the dog's point of view.

I am looking forward to a long 4th of July holiday (hopefully with some SUN!!!) for some poolside summer reading. This one tops my list at the moment.