A tribute to the talking chimp who opened minds more than ears.
Photo credit: Hi Pandian, flickr: Original photoIn some realm, Dr. Doolittle is taking a moment of silence.
And though his delightful character may have been make believe, thanks to a certain chimpanzee, talking to animals is not.
However, on October 30th the world lost the 42 year old female chimp, Washoe, who had taken us to the mysterious and magical world of human-animal communication. She was the first animal to speak the human language of American Sign Language.
Washoe was born in Africa in about 1965, and came to the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI), located on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1880 with Roger and Deborah Fouts. Over her time there she worked with Roger, Deborah, and other researchers to learn about 250 words which she used to answer questions, describe objects and activities, and make requests. Washoe went on to teach her own son and her two other research mates the language. She said "sweet-girl," "hug-friend," and loved shoes, often signing for visitors to show her theirs.