The Chimp and Human Communication Project Experience - Ellensburg, Washington

Reading magazines is a favorite past time of the chimpanzees in Ellensburg, Washington. They turn the pages and comment on the pictures using American Sign Language (ASL).

The chimpanzees have clear tastes and personalities. Loulis loves shoes and signs the word, that, pointing to the shoes, as in, he wants that. Tatu loves the color black and in the photo above has found a black tulip to her liking. Dar loves his mealtimes and has his favorite foods. From the colors and styles in magazines to signing and communicating with humans and chimpanzee family members, the last of the signing chimpanzees are busy daily with theme and enrichment days masterminded by their humans.

Chimposiums are where the public can go to see the last of the three signing chimpanzees, Loulis, Tatu and Dar. If lucky, the family will sign, but either way the experience shows interspecies communication in a new light.

Once the three remaining project chimpanzees are gone, Project Manager, Deborah Fouts says, "We would never begin a project like this again. Chimpanzee infants should stay with their mothers and family unit in Africa. We do not think any chimpanzees should live in captivity."

Deborah is the wife of Roger Fouts, author of the book Next of Kin written in conjunction with Stephen Tukel Mills. In 1980, the Fouts established a much sought after sanctuary and research center for primates and after a long journey, Central Washington University met their requirements. Today Roger Fouts is Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Central Washington University. He has resigned from CHCI. His wife, Deborah directs CHCI with Mary Lee Jensvold.

Two males remain in the chimpanzee family, Dar, who turned 33 on Sept 2009, and Loulis, who was 31 as of May 2009. Loulis is the adopted son of Washoe. The last remaining female, Tatu, is turning 34 on December 30,2009. Above, Tatu is pictured finding her favorite color, black, in a magazine. Photo of Tatu by permission from the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute.

The Chimposium project experience starts at 400 East University Way, a facility singled out for chimpanzee communication studies. While you wait you can read about the chimps in the mini-museum. Their habitat overlooks the campus. The communication project proved chimpanzees can communicate effectively with humans and between family members through learning American Sign Language (ASL).

Entering the chimpanzees home turf is the moment everyone waits for, but to do so the public is required to put your lower lip out in front of your upper lip, chimpanzee-style. We entered, hunched over, arms dangling, secretly chuckling at our transformation. The staff teaches a few simple ASL words to communicate with the chimps such as, friend, thank you, hello and love hug. Although we were entering their space, the chimpanzees and public were safe behind a layer of glass extending floor to ceiling.

Deborah Fouts says, "We encourage visitors to assume a submissive posture when entering the chimpanzee's area to show them respect. We encourage visitors to take the chimpanzees on their own terms and this is a reminder to the visitor."

The enclosure where the chimpanzees reside has west and east rooms, lots of high hammocks to swing and lie in and even a toilet to potty. Floors are spotlessly clean and there are tires, creative elevations and an outdoor play area where the apes can climb high to their heart's content, as chimpanzees would do in the wild. You can view their activity through the project's enrichment webcam.

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for the chimpanzees or their humans. The chimpanzees lost their first family member in 2002, Moja at the age of 30. The story and project begins with Washoe, the first ASL signing chimpanzee. She died in late 2007 at the age of 41 and being the matron of the family, it was a huge loss for the chimpanzees and for Roger Fouts, who had spent a lifetime and career with her.

"The chimpanzees in captivity, and in Africa, do grieve," says Fouts. "As with a human, we offered comfort to this family. In small group human societies in Africa, they grieve round the clock 24-hours and then it's adaptive to move on with their lives." The chimpanzees had to learn to go on without Moja and Washoe.

During our group's visit the chimpanzees seemed aloof. It was close to their feeding time. Loulis darted out from the inner rooms to the outer area with an impressive display of hair standing on end coupled with spinning behavior. He signed the word chase, according to the docent. My unprofessional interpretation of this chimp-like behavior was he wanted to chase the strangers away. Our guide said he wanted to play chase and that he was hungry. We were asked, in response to his display, to sign love hug in ASL, so the whole room crossed their arms, hoping Loulis would understand we meant no harm.

The other male, Dar was way up high in his hammock swing ignoring us on this day, and Tatu, the female was out in the play yard hiding in the tall grass. The chimps focus was on eating and we would not be blessed with any family group interactions on this particular day trip.

Eventually Loulis, the youngest male, calmed down in the inner rooms . He kept pointing in sign language, communicating the word - that - and pointing to the docent's shoes. The meaning the docent explained was he wanted her to take off her shoes. The docent complied and Loulis mock-tickled her feet through the glass. She did a hearty imitation of a chimpanzee laugh, leaning back in her chair, feet on the glass and shaking her head chimp-style to Loulis's game and delight.

One of our group attendees, Sandra Moore, a Washington high school teacher said "I learned to treat animal behaviors as I treat human behaviors in different cultures. Dogs, chimps, and presumably all animals that live in groups, have specific and meaningful cultures of their own. I must be an objective observer and then figure out how I can fit into that culture rather than demanding the animal fit into mine. We will both be richer and happier for that approach."

The goal of our group, Peaceful Friends, a support group for owners of overly responsive canines, was to pick up tips which might help in the rehabilitation of those canines, such as less talking, more use of reading and using body language to communicate and recognition of stress signals. Respect for canines and their space is also important.

Bellingham residents and Peaceful Friend's members, Debby and Steve Ayers, said, "We learned from the Chimposium experience that (like chimpanzees) communicating with reactive dogs equals being sensitive to what they are afraid of instead of pushing our (human) expectations on them. We have to learn the body signals they send instead of assuming what they mean. For instance, I didn't know that a chimp's grimace meant they were unhappy, just like a raised or wagging tail of a dog doesn't always mean that a dog is happy. I think we have to learn more about an animal's world instead of expecting animals to fit into ours."

In comparison, the chimpanzees are not trained to perform silly tricks or obey commands. "These chimpanzees were never trained, they were raised like human children and they acquired the signs from their human family," says Fouts.

The Institute does not force the chimpanzees to communicate with the public. They communicate based on whether they are feeling talkative. The chimpanzees have an enriched and fulfilling life and celebrate their birthdays, have special theme days and enjoy their favorite foods just as humans would.

Both Mary Lee and Deborah spend hours during each day with the chimpanzees, and Roger does also when he is able, says Deborah.

"We always interact through the enclosures, because, just like our adult human children, they (the adult chimpanzees) do not request sitting in our laps, nor do they need that kind of interaction from us, they groom, hug, each other much better than what they would get from us. They are not companion animals, who we treat as infants for all of their lives," she says.

Seeing the chimpanzees in their environment is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When the last three family members, Dar, Tatu and Loulis, pass on, the communication project ends. The experience will forever change one's view of chimpanzees, humanity and animal communication.

Further Information:
Friends of Washoe
Visitor Information
Official Friends of Washoe Blog

For reservations Contact:
Lynn Whitacre, Program Coordinator
509-963-2243 (Office)
509-963-2234 (Fax)

Address:
Central Washington University
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7573

Chimposiums - One-hour Chimposium for a donation; OR 5-hour Chimposium for a more intense experience with a cost of $150.00. Either way, plan ahead, pay ahead. No refunds. Donations and money from gift shop go to care for the chimpanzees. Grant money for the project ran out long ago and raising money for food and to continue offering the opportunity for public viewing must come from public donations.