Leakey said many a drunk person has awakened in the savannah under foliage lovingly piled over them by elephants. These remarkable animals have even been known to protect smaller prey animals by driving lions away from them. Sadly, man's demand for ivory trinkets has threatened the world's elephant population. It is likely that the ban on ivory trade will be lifted next year, and elephants will once again be prime targets for hunting. It has gotten to the point where natural selection has taken over, and the number of tuskless elephants born, especially in national parks, is increasing.
Chimpanzees are another species that shows emotion and rationality.
They are remarkably intelligent and innovative, using tools such as rocks to break nuts open. Chimps and other primates have been caught in the crossfire of civil wars and victimized by poachers. Monkey meat is a delicacy that gets a better price in Africa than imported European meat. With so many species being threatened or lost, our own is not out of danger. Leakey spoke of the future and of how our existence is inextricably linked to that of others.