Emily Chan
For instance, a scientist named Herbert Terrace taught the chimp Nim Chimpsky a few signs but later realized that he was merely mimicking the humans.
However, other primates have been successfully taught sign language after Washoe. In the ’70s, Koko the gorilla learned between 350 and 1,000 words.
After more than 20 years at the Washington institution, Washoe died in 2007 at the age of 42. She will always be remembered for her intelligence, kindness, and contribution to our understanding of language development in primates.
