Kanzi

[Mark E]

“I told Savage-Rumbaugh about some of my adventures, and she invited
me to perform a Maori war dance. I beat my chest, slapped my thighs
and hollered. The bonobos sat quiet and motionless for a few seconds,
then all but Kanzi snapped into a frenzy, the noise deafening as they
screamed, bared their teeth and pounded on the walls and floor of
their enclosure. Still calm, Kanzi waved an arm at Savage-Rumbaugh, as
if asking her to come closer, then let loose with a stream of squeaks
and squeals. ’Kanzi says he knows you're not threatening them,’ Savage-
Rumbaugh said to me,’ and he'd like you to do it again just for him,
in a room out back, so the others won't get upset.’” - “Speaking
Bonobo”, Paul Raffaele

Kanzi is a bonobo chimpanzee who, through the work of Sue Savage-
Rumbaugh, has learned to use language. Unlike apes who have been
taught sign language, Kanzi uses syntactical rules in his speech. On
the surface this may seem trivial, but it demonstrates a deep
understanding for words and their meanings. Kanzi’s ability and desire
to communicate consistently surprises even his researchers. Kanzi has
learned to use symbols, sign language, vocalize words, write, make
stone tools, play video games, create camp fires, and even roast
marshmallows. None of these acts were explicitly taught to him. As we
do, Kanzi simply observed those around him and learned.

When we learn about apes we learn about ourselves. The purpose of the
initial research between Savage-Rumbaugh and Kanzi was to develop a
language acquisition program for severely mentally challenged young
human adults. The participants of this program had little to no
language ability on entry, despite having tried many similar programs.
Due to the work of Savage-Rumbaugh, all but one left able to
communicate, many with a vocabulary ranging in the hundreds of words.
Kanzi and other apes have much to teach us which is why I am proposing
a discussion group.

During the Fall semester, I would like to have a discussion group to
learn more about Kanzi and Savage-Rumbaugh’s research. The focus of
the group would be to read the book Kanzi by Sue Savage-Rumbaugh. The
book covers her early research with Kanzi and two other chimpanzees:
Sherman and Austin. While there have been many new discoveries made
since the book’s publishing, it is an excellent introduction to the
topic. Additionally, members of the group would read and discuss
scientific papers mentioned in Kanzi and watch a lecture series, Roots
of Human Behavior, to have a greater understanding of general
primatology.

Kanzi currently lives at The Great Ape Trust in Iowa. The general
public is no longer able to visit, but they sometimes allow students a
tour. It is my hope that this discussion group will prove our interest
and perhaps secure a visit.

This group requires a large time commitment. Members will be expected
to commit one hour a week to meet for the discussion group and have
time to read Kanzi (336 pages) and 2-3 scientific papers over the
semester.

If you are interested in participating, please contact me at
mark....@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!
Mark Esler

More information: (I highly recommend that TED talk!)
Speaking Bonobo: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/10022981.html
Kanzi (book): http://www.amazon.com/Kanzi-Ape-Brink-Human-Mind/dp/047115959X/
Sue Savage-Rumbaugh: http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_savage_rumbaugh_on_apes_that_write.html
Roots of Human Behavior: http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/Course_Detail.aspx?cid=168
Great Ape Trust: http://www.greatapetrust.org/

[atrop...@aol.com]

Hi Mark,

I'm really interested and would love to participate!

Mary

p.s. I have a connection to a primate researcher in Pittsburgh, might be able to get some additional information, let me know if you think I should pursue that source.

[Mark]

Mary,

Thanks for the interest in the group! 

I am trying to figure out which days of the week work best for everyone over the Fall semester. If you could let me know which days work best for you I'd appreciate it.

I've been trying to get in contact with a few local primatologists, so its great to hear you already have a connection to one!

Mark

(If you'd like a snapshot of the work done with Kanzi there is a great video on TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_savage_rumbaugh_on_apes_that_write.html )