Jordi Sabater Pi
Encyclopedia
Jordi Sabater Pi was a Catalan
primatologist
and worldwide specialist in ethology
(the study of animal behavior) and the discoverer of cultural behaviors of several species, including the use of tools by chimpanzee
s. During the 1960s he discovered Snowflake
, a very rare albino gorilla
that used to live in the zoo
of Barcelona
.
Pi was born in Barcelona. He was professor of Ethology at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona and pioneered the study of animal behaviour and primatology in Spain. His line of work has been continued inside and outside the University of Barcelona by several of his disciples, such as Joaquim J. Veà Baró, Matthew Escobar Aliaga, and Montserrat Colell Mimó.
As a sign of his commitment to chimpanzees, and prompted by the finding of their proximity (both genetically and behavioural) with humans, and the threats hanging over their habitats, Sabater Pi once said that the decline in population and, in the case of some subspecies, their near extinction, was comparable to genocide among human beings. Since the initial years of the Twenty First century, professor Jordi Sabater Pi has clearly taken sides in favour of the protection and conservation of primates and he gives support to projects such as the Proyecto Gran Simio in Spain or Fundación Mona in Girona.
A nature enthusiast, Jordi Sabater Pi was exceptionally passionate about his work. One of his loves was going out on expeditions to draw; he was known for producing numerous paintings which featured animals and nature as a primary focus.
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
primatologist
Primatology
Primatology is the scientific study of primates. It is a diverse discipline and researchers can be found in academic departments of anatomy, anthropology, biology, medicine, psychology, veterinary sciences and zoology, as well as in animal sanctuaries, biomedical research facilities, museums and zoos...
and worldwide specialist in ethology
Ethology
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
(the study of animal behavior) and the discoverer of cultural behaviors of several species, including the use of tools by chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s. During the 1960s he discovered Snowflake
Floquet de Neu
Snowflake was an albino gorilla. He was the only known albino gorilla so far, and the most popular resident of the Barcelona Zoo in Catalonia.-Name:...
, a very rare albino gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
that used to live in the zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Pi was born in Barcelona. He was professor of Ethology at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Barcelona and pioneered the study of animal behaviour and primatology in Spain. His line of work has been continued inside and outside the University of Barcelona by several of his disciples, such as Joaquim J. Veà Baró, Matthew Escobar Aliaga, and Montserrat Colell Mimó.
As a sign of his commitment to chimpanzees, and prompted by the finding of their proximity (both genetically and behavioural) with humans, and the threats hanging over their habitats, Sabater Pi once said that the decline in population and, in the case of some subspecies, their near extinction, was comparable to genocide among human beings. Since the initial years of the Twenty First century, professor Jordi Sabater Pi has clearly taken sides in favour of the protection and conservation of primates and he gives support to projects such as the Proyecto Gran Simio in Spain or Fundación Mona in Girona.
A nature enthusiast, Jordi Sabater Pi was exceptionally passionate about his work. One of his loves was going out on expeditions to draw; he was known for producing numerous paintings which featured animals and nature as a primary focus.
External links
- Special Collection: Jordi Sabater Pi (University of Barcelona Library)
- Dr. Sabater Pi: Dibuix naturalista. Resource Centre for Learning and Research(CRAI),University of Barcelona. (http://www.bib.ub.edu/index.php?id=983)
- Documentation Centre – Sabater Pi Collection (http://www.pcb.ub.es/homepcb/live/en/p1451.asp)
- Interview published in the educational magazine of Omnium Cultural Escola Catalana (http://www.omnium.cat/escolaarticlesViewPage.php?ear_ID=365)