Washoe, a female chimpanzee believed to be the first non-human to acquire human language, has died of natural causes at the research institute where she was kept.
Washoe, who first learned a bit of American Sign Language in a research project in Nevada, had been living on Central Washington University’s Ellensburg campus since 1980. She had a vocabulary of about 250 words.
She died Tuesday night, according to Roger and Deborah Fouts, co-founders of The Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute on the campus. She was born in Africa about 1965.
She was taken to the veterinary hospital at Washington State University on Wednesday for a necropsy. Her memorial will be Nov. 12.
Okay, it’s Halloween, but please don’t scare me with that picture again.
Do you realize how many Jon Stewart fans you’re going to send into a tizzy with this one…the only chimp references they find humorous and non-bigoted are Bush ones.
Washoe’s final communication: “jay good all slut”
That photo is either one of the make-up tests Tony Curtis did for “The Boston Strangler” or it’s Elton John after the latest hairplugs.
I once read that Washoe’s teachers not only taught her to “talk” but also explained to her the concepts of death and mortality (her own).. I remember thinking that they’d committed a great sin in laying that whole burden on an animal.
Primates 101: Learn to distinguish between chimpanzees and baboons
Why did you post a picture of Emperor Palpatine in drag? Other than it’s Halloween, I mean.
Washoe, who first learned a bit of American Sign Language in a research project in Nevada, had been living on Central Washington University’s Ellensburg campus since 1980.
Ellensburg campus? Has this chimp ever been to Brazil?
“I once read that Washoe’s teachers not only taught her to “talk†but also explained to her the concepts of death and mortality (her own).. I remember thinking that they’d committed a great sin in laying that whole burden on an animal.”
Yeah, yeah.
But the real burning question is: Were they “doing” her (him?).
wow, there is just not enough soft focus in the world to help that.
My fucking eyes are bleeding.
Dan, the Chimpanzee Anti-Defamation League is on Line 2. You gonna take it, or should I just put “Riverdance” on the “on hold” channel?
– #10: Or Liz Taylor/Lucy Ball photo gauze…..
Hey, my hiccups went away. She’s a healer.
icky
That’s a horrible thing to say about a picture of a poor animal.. Sure she didn’t look too good in the end but, man, she lived a hard life.. cut her some slack.. Cool how they dressed her in people clothes and pearls though.. Kinda funny.. Like Lance Link or something..
Take a look at her picture again and you tell me.. Duh.. Does the phrase “Rode hard and put away wet” come to mind?
Okay Dan. Funny. Look at the hideous woman. Clearly, there was no need to make the Washoe connection. You could have put up her picture with the title “Still Working” or “Veteran Journalist Still Has Passion”, and the comments would still center around dentures and nose hair. But try to remember before you throw your sticks and stones: She could be somebody’s great uncle.
Man, that’s cold.
I mean, it’s a cold thing to do to the poor chimp, it’s a cold thing to do to the Washington Press Corps Mummy, and it’s a cold thing to do to us.
It’s just cold.
“Take a look at her picture again and you tell me.. Duh.. Does the phrase “Rode hard and put away wet†come to mind?”
Um…….no.
Though “beaten with an ugly stick” does.
Hit that woman with an ugly stick and all you’ll do is make the stick uglier.
“Comment by McGehee on 11/1 @ 6:51 am #
Hit that woman with an ugly stick and all you’ll do is make the stick uglier.”
Damn, now that is funny.
I now completely understand what the word “rictus” means.
There’s a lesson to learned here, boys and girls.
A fistful of oxycontin and a quart of cheap gin do not constitute a nutritious breakfast.
‘Mkay?
I’m torn between:
“That chimp fell out of the ugly tree, and hit every branch on the way down.”
and
“Deb Frisch owns pearls?”
That’s some quality taxidermy.
Its like “anti-viagra”.
My favorite Dice Clay joke- he was having trouble getting rid of erections. “Just think ‘Rosenne Bar naked- GONE !”
*A fistful of oxycontin and a quart of cheap gin do not constitute a nutritious breakfast.*
Lies. It works for Brittney Spears.
Comment by McGehee on 11/1 @ 6:51 am #
“Hit that woman with an ugly stick and all you’ll do is make the stick uglier”
Ugly stick???
No one will ever convince me that she didn’t get hit with the whole fuckin’ free!
Or did I mean to say “tree”?
Yup. I think that’s what I meant. I hope my punishment is NOT staying at Helen’s house for the weekend…
So that thing ate Washoe?
That is one ugly monkey.
“Lies. It works for Brittney Spears.”
Well, sure, for now. But wait’ll SHE hits a hundred and thirty.
My eyes are still fucking bleeding. Make it stop!!!!!!!!!!
The stick, it does nothing!
The stick is uglier, but never to the gut wrenching level of teh Thomas.
That’s because teh Thomas has an infinite supply.
McGehee – How true. That picture gets a little more repulsive every time I look at it. What it is missing is the speech bubble of “BusHitler is the worst president ever, warforoil, torture, stolen elections, Cheney shooting people, Chimperor…”
Heh. I look at it and think the word bubble should say, “The Jedi have lied to you, Anakin.”