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Meet Washoe Washoe was born in Africa and was estimated to be 42 years old when she passed away in 2007. Washoe was cross-fostered and acquired American Sign Language from her human companions. She was the first non-human in history to acquire a human language. |
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Meet Washoe's Family | |
 Tatu
is a 32-year-old female. Her favorite color is black and she seems
to enjoy masks. |
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 Dar
is 31, and a pretty mellow guy most of the time. His dad was one of
the biggest chimpanzees in captivity. |
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 Loulis
is the youngest, at 30. He is Washoe's adopted son and acquired sign
language from her. |
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 Moja
liked to dress up in clothes and use mirrors. She passed away in 2002,
when she was 29. |
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| Their Home | ||
Washoe's family live in the CHCI Sanctuary at Central Washington
University. You can visit Washoe at home by attending a Chimposium.
Call 509.963.2244 for information. |
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Washoe Day Resolution On February 22, 2008, CHCI directors Debbi & Roger Fouts, along with assistant director Mary Lee Jensvold, traveled to Olympia to attend the Washington State House of Representatives. The House honored Washoe's acheivements and the directors' decades of service with a unanimous resolution sponsored by Rep. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake). You read a first hand account and see photos of the event, or read the Full Press Release, or resolution What's New? Find out what Tatu, Loulis and Dar are doing today by visiting the Chimpanzee Camera or read about day to day life at CHCI by visiting our blog, Pan bloglodytes. |
The chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute - Loulis, Tatu, and Dar - have acquired extensive American Sign Language vocabularies and live together as a social group. They gesture and vocalize as free-living chimpanzees do and also use American Sign Language in their interactions with humans and with each other to answer questions, make requests, and describe activities and objects. Washoe was the first non-human animal to acquire a human language and her adopted son Loulis is the first to acquire a human language from another chimpanzee. |
| Friends of Washoe CHCI/CWU 400 E. University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926-7573 |
Copyright 2004-2008 Friends of Washoe The images on this site may not be used without written permission. |
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