Around Fongoli, the animals are accorded a remarkable amount of respect by locals. Kerri Clavette, Prueta's student, interviewed villagers about their beliefs regarding chimpanzees and whether they hunted them. Among the region's main tribes, chimp5. compared with monkeys have an elevated, almost human status. Behaviors normally associated with a baser nature- such as walking on all fours- were given a respectful spin: "Chimpanzees walk on their knuckles to keep their hands clean to eat with