A BONOBO has surprised his trainers by appearing to make up his own “words”. It’s the first report of an ape making sounds that seem to hold their meaning across different situations, and the latest challenge to the orthodox view that animals don’t have language.
Kanzi is an adult bonobo, or pygmy chimp, kept at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He has grown up among humans, and is adept at communicating with symbols. He understands some spoken English, and can respond to phrases such as “go out of the cage” and “do you want a banana?” Jared Taglialatela and Sue…
