Pan bloglodytes: The official blog of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute

Washoe, our beloved friend, passed away on the evening of Tuesday, October 30, after a brief illness. At the time of her passing she was at home at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, with her family and closest friends.

Washoe was 42 years old, a long life for a female chimpanzee. Most females in captivity live an average of 33.5 years.

We would like, here, to answer a few of the commonly asked questions about Washoe’s passing.

Q: How did Washoe die?
A: According to Washoe’s physician, the best we can say right now is that she died of very old age. Veterinary doctors at Washington State University are completing an autopsy, and Washoe’s physician is consulting with them to determine additional details.

Q: What were Washoe’s last words?
A: Washoe did not sign the night she died.

Q: Will you get another chimpanzee to replace her?
A: Just as you cannot replace a sister or a mother in your family who has passed away, there is no “replacing” Washoe in this family. Currently, we have no plans to either introduce a new chimpanzee to this family or to introduce the remaining members of this family to another established group.

Q: How are Tatu, Dar, and Loulis dealing with the loss?
A: Washoe’s family has been very quiet since her death, very helpful and calm. They are just recently returning to a more typical energy level in their daily activities. Tatu did sign HURT to Roger and Deborah Fouts for a few days after Washoe’s death.

Q: Will the project continue?
A: At CHCI, we will continue to do what has always been our first priority—to provide the best home we possibly can for Washoe’s family. Research will carry on as well; we will continue to encourage students to develop interesting questions, and methods that are enjoyable and enriching for the chimpanzees. We also have video of Washoe, Moja, Tatu, Dar, and Loulis and written data to last several lifetimes of active research.

Q: What about the hierarchy? Who is the new alpha individual?
A: It is still too soon to determine any changes in the family’s hierarchy, and it may well be that no clearly dominant individual emerges. We are not instituting any artificial hierarchy; for example, we are not choosing to serve one family member before the rest during dinner, a privilege that used to be Washoe’s as the alpha individual.

Q: What can I do to help?
A: Consider making a donation to Friends of Washoe in Washoe’s name. This will help us continue to do what she did so well: care for her family. Instead of a direct donation, you might also consider donating a gift card to Costco, Target, Fred Meyer, Safeway, or similar establishments, so that we can purchase treats, enrichment items, and other things for the chimpanzees. If you’d like to directly support Washoe’s legacy, please consider donating to the CHCI Legacy Project, which is working to preserve the video record of the lives of Washoe and the other chimpanzees for generations to come. Write us at chci@cwu.edu for more information.

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[Editor’s Note: Noella Wyatt is CHCI’s Docent of the Month for September, 2007. Noella has been a long-time dependable volunteer, and we can always count on her to help out. Docents are volunteers at CHCI who help make our Chimposiums possible: they greet guests, work the gift shop, give lectures, and guide guests during observations.]

CHCI: How did you become a docent? How did you hear about the program? What were your goals for your experience as a docent?

Back in 1987 I began working as the secretary lead for the Psychology department. At that time, Roger and Debbi and the whole gang were located on the third floor of CWU’s Psychology Building. I would often attended celebrations, would drop by food and other treats on the way to my office, and helped with projects like counting sweatshirts in the gift shop (which was little more than a closet at the time). Jane Goodall made a visit to Ellensburg in support of the new facility and I remember Debbi coming and getting me at the reception and introducing me to Jane. I felt like a blithering idiot – I could barely squeak out a “nice to meet you.” I was so overwhelmed at being introduced to her.

For years in the Psychology Building, people had wanted to visit. When the new facility was finally completed (in 1993), we would finally be able to accommodate such a project. Since I had known Washoe and her family for the past few years, when I was told they were going to start a Docent program, I jumped at the chance to stay involved with everyone. The Psychology building was lonely without them downstairs. Since I am kind of a chatter-box, it seemed natural for me to train as a Presenter and Observer Guide.

CHCI: What have you learned from the docent program? Has it changed your perceptions about yourself, chimpanzees, and other non-human animals?

I have learned that I just can’t accept that humans are the only beings with “culture” or a “productive” language. Even after 20 years, it still amazes me that I could understand what the chimpanzees are saying to the humans, and most importantly, to one another.

I have truly felt a change in my attitude toward animals. I was always a softy for an animal, but never past the point of cuteness, cuddliness, etc. Now I see things from a much different perspective, especially with regard to captive and endangered animals.

CHCI: What has been your fondest memory? What is your favorite comment or question from a guest? What has been the hardest part of docenting? The most valuable part?

Without a doubt, my fondest memory was the day the chimpanzees went outside (in the current CHCI facility) for the first time. Washoe ran over and greeted Roger and Debbie and then came to me and gave me a kiss through the glass. To this day, it makes my eyes water to remember that. I felt so honored by Washoe.

I guess my favorite comments/questions come from the children who visit. They are so open and inquisitive. There are too many questions to list.

The hardest part of docenting was when a CHCI employee called me at work to tell me Moja had died (in 2002). It was like losing a family member; it felt like a physical blow.

The most valuable part has been touching all of the lives that I have met through the years and bringing a little bit of understanding about the world and the place that humans and animals have in that world.

CHCI: Anything else?

Working with CHCI and Washoe and her family is a chance many people will never have. If you have the chance, it is worth taking. It has been rewarding beyond words. If a person is afraid that they don’t know enough to be a docent, they can and will learn—it takes time, but it is time worth taking. When you have the chance to sit and interact with Loulis—play a game of tickle or just glance into those enormous, intelligent eyes, you realize your place in the world. God did not place us here to dominate the world - He put us here to share the world.

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Cleve Hicks, a former graduate student at CHCI, has written a new article to appear on RichardDawkins.net about the newly discovered Bili apes. The chimpanzees are facing new threats from mining and bushmeat. Cleve has given us permission to reprint his article on the Friends of Washoe website.

Read The Bili Apes Are In Trouble! by Cleve Hicks

Learn more about bushmeat, the single biggest threat to chimpanzees in Africa

Read more about The Bili Ape Project, at the Wasmoeth Wildlife Foundation

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The docents of the month for August are our 2007 Summer Apprentices. With many of the student docents away, and many of our community docents traveling, summer is a notoriously tough time to find volunteers for our Chimposiums. Thankfully, most of our 2007 Summer Apprentices decided to volunteer as docents, this in addition to the 30+ hours a week they were already working for the chimpanzees as part of their Apprenticeships. Altogether, they volunteered well over 150 hours to the program, and help educate 842 Chimposium guests! We absolutely could not have run our Chimposium program this summer without the Apprentices. Thank you all!

Here’s a little bit about each of the Summer Apprentices who volunteered as docents, in reverse alphabetical order by last name (you’re welcome, Lindsay).

Lindsay Zager

Lindsay came to CHCI from Kenmore, Washington. She is a 21-year-old Senior at Pacific Lutheran University where she is majoring in anthropology with a minor in music. Lindsay plans to return to PLU to finish her senior year. Then she hopes to either attend graduate school (she’s interested in returning for graduate school here at CWU, yay!) or apply for work at a zoo.

“The docent program was a great way for me to share my passion for the urgency of primate conservation. Seeing lives and minds changed — for example, my grandmother, who is in favor of biomedical research, actually read Next of Kin and attended not one, but two Chimposiums — made me really believe that the world can change for the better, and already is in small (and big) ways.”

Cristy Rasmussen

Cristy comes to CHCI from Yakima, Washington. She is one of the first two students to arrive at CHCI through the Bridges to Baccalaureate program, a joint venture of Central Washington University and Yakima Valley Community College. She is currently a junior at YVCC and will be transferring in the winter to CWU, to double major in Psychology and Primate Behavior and Ecology. Cristy doesn’t yet have any plans for what she wants to do when she is done with school at CWU, but she “hopes to have it all worked out when the time comes to start paying back those student loans.”

“I plan to continue at CHCI (including volunteering as a docent) because my experience with Washoe’s family and all the humans here have been so positive. I also plan to learn as much as I can from the mentors and the unique family here.”

Jan Mead-Moehring

Jan came to CHCI from Wichita, Kansas. She is a 38-year-old graduate of Wichita State University; she just graduated in July with her degree in biology. Jan plans to take the next year off to prepare applications for graduate schools, and may do some substitute teaching in Wichita’s high schools.

“Docenting was my favorite part of my summer at CWU and CHCI. I enjoyed meeting and working with the longer-term docents, especially Cindy, Sydney, and Kelly, who were wonderful people.”

Hallie Jensen

Hallie came to CHCI from Boulder, Colorado. She is a 23-year-old graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned her degree in anthropology. After leaving this summer, Hallie is returning to Boulder for a bit. After that, she hopes to travel to Italy for a few months, and then on to Cambodia or Africa for a year-long internship working with non-human primates. Then it’s off to graduate school.

“The docent program was an amazing experience! It was my first experience public speaking; I thought it would be unbelievably scary, but it turned out to be so fun! It was wonderful to know that I was educating the public about something so important. And, of course, interacting with the chimpanzees is always an incredible experience! Thank you guys so much.”

[Editor’s note: At CHCI docents must be trained and supervised during interactions with the chimpanzees, and all interactions take place through glass. No one at CHCI interacts with the chimpanzees within their enclosures or without proper training and supervision.]

Greta James

Greta comes to CHCI from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (so she says words like “pasta” and “process” a little funny, but we love her still). Greta is a fifth year student at the University of Waterloo where she is triple-majoring in psychology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Greta hopes to “spend the rest of her days studying the evolution of the mind, consciousness, and language.”

“You should definitely volunteer as a docent. I was nervous to do so, myself, because I was here for such a short time, but I loved it. It was one of the best experiences I had at CHCI. For once, everyone had to listen to me.”

[Editor’s note: Greta speaks with such volume that most of us cannot imagine a scenario where she was not the center of everyone’s auditory world.]

Shona Duguid

Shona came to CHCI from Edinburgh, Scotland. [Editor’s note: I feared we might lose Shona to frustration, as during her first week everyone was pestering her to say things in her beautiful Scottish accent. Thankfully, she’s a patient soul.] Shona is a 20-year-old fourth year student at the University of Edinburgh. She is majoring in psychology. Shona is returning to Edinburgh for her final year of school, after which she hopes to travel to Africa. Shona tells us that watching tapes from Gombe as part of research here at CHCI has made her even more determined to get back to Africa.

“The docent programme was a great part of my time at CHCI. I enjoyed being part of the team educating guests about the CHCI family and the broader picture with regards to chimpanzees. I’ll be spreading the word when I get back to Scotland.”

Mark Darrah

Mark came to CHCI from Fountain Valley, California. He is a 22-year-old Senior from the University of California, San Diego where he is majoring in biological anthropology and minoring in history. Mark is keeping his options open after graduation (a nice way of saying that he hasn’t a clue what he wants to do after school) - though he’s considering graduate school, after taking a year off.

“I have had a wonderful experience being a docent this summer. I got to meet a lot of people who are docents but not interns or Apprentices, who I wouldn’t have been able to meet otherwise. The interactions and time we got to spend with the chimpanzees when I was docenting were priceless. I’ll never forget it. Great program!”

Ande Cira

Ande came to CHCI from San Francisco, where she is a 29-year-old student majoring in psychology and architecture. She’s returning to San Francisco after her summer at CHCI “with a renewed interest in primate studies.” Ande hopes to work for conservation and with zoos to improve conditions for captive animals.

“It was great to hear from so many different perspectives. My entire experience at CHCI has opened my eyes and strengthened my convictions. I miss everyone already and hope to return some day in the future!”

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Note: Jeremy is CHCI’s Docent of the Month for July, 2007. Docents are volunteers at CHCI who help make our Chimposiums possible: they greet guests, work the gift shop, give lectures, and guide guests during observations.

CHCI: How did you become a docent? How did you hear about the program? What were your goals for your experience as a docent?

JM: I heard about the docent program during my first visit to a Chimposium. I asked one of the volunteers on staff how they got involved. Once I learned how to get involved, I grabbed an application from a docent at the time and turned one in as soon as possible. I really wanted to get involved and help educate the public about the dangers that chimpanzees face, because I learned so much that day and wanted to learn more.

(Note: If you are interested in becoming a docent, visit the docenting page at the CHCI site.)

CHCI: What have you learned from the docent program? Has it changed your perceptions about yourself, chimpanzees, and other non-human animals?

JM: I’ve learned a lot from the docent program since getting involved. I never knew about the danger facing chimpanzees in the biomedical or entertainment industries, or the threats to free-living chimpanzee cultures. Once I learned about the harsh reality to these amazing beings, I wanted to get involved and do my best to educate those around me as well the public. Bushmeat is probably one of the topics that I have learned the most about since getting involved in this program. I will admit that I had no idea what bushmeat was until I went to a Chimposium. Being around Washoe and her family and learning about them as well as free living chimpanzees has really opened my eyes to the reality of life for chimpanzees around the world.

CHCI: What has been your fondest memory? What is your favorite comment or question from a guest? What has been the hardest part of docenting? What has been the most valuable part?

JM: My fondest memory so far was when a family came up to me after the Chimposium was over and told that they learned so much and will never see things the same again. They said I really got through to them and that they were amazed at how much they learned. I enjoy knowing that some people really get the message we send and want to help. I always enjoy reading comments from kids and from people who say that they learned something. Even if it is only one small detail, I still enjoy knowing that they got something from the Chimposium.

The hardest part of docenting so far has been trying to communicate with those who believe that animals should be treated below us humans. I ever know what to say but I always try to listen and give positive feedback even if I disagree with their comments.

The most valuable part of docenting goes back to knowing that some people learn and enjoy the chimposium. I enjoy knowing that people learn from this program because then they have knowledge in which they can pass it along. I always enjoy people telling me that they came here because they heard good thing about it from a friend.

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