Look Who's Talking

Humans may have invented gobs of gadgets to communicate better with one another (think cell phones, email, and text messaging), but we still haven’t figured out how to talk to the animals ….or have we?

Let’s go back thirty years to a time when Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., first began studying the intelligence and reasoning abilities of the African Grey parrot. After completing her doctoral thesis in theoretical chemistry at Harvard University , Pepperberg acquired a 1-year-old African Gray that she named him Alex (an acronym for Avian Learning EXperiment). Together, Pepperberg and her protégé shattered the myth that birds are, well, bird brains.

Over the years, Alex developed a vocabulary of 100 words and demonstrated an ability to count and recognize dozens of different shapes and colors. He showed the emotional equivalent of a 2-year-old child and the intellect of a 5-year-old.

Alex’s gift of gab and his amazing ability to understand human language became the subject of many scientific journals and numerous television programs, including PBS’s “Nature” series and an episode of “Scientific American Frontiers” with actor Alan Alda. Through his interactions with Pepperberg, Alex helped define the bond between humans and animals and showed us that these brainy birds are capable of much more than simply mimicking sounds; they excel at cognition and communication as well.

Earlier this month, Alex, 31, died suddenly and Dr. Pepperberg and the entire avian community mourn the plucky parrot’s passing. On the Alex Foundation Home Page (www.alexfoundation.org), a heartfelt note reads: “Please bear with us as we move through this difficult time of grief and regain our composure. We have received thousands of emails and continue to go through them. The support you have shown us is overwhelming and we are forever grateful.”

We’re all Kookoo for Koko. Speaking of talking animals, do you remember Koko, the gorilla who can “speak” in American Sign Language? In 1972, Penny Patterson, a young graduate student in developmental psychology at Stanford University , volunteered to teach sign language to a 1-year-old female gorilla named Koko. Within two weeks of beginning her experiment, Patterson had taught Koko the signs for food, drink, and more. Today, Koko, with an IQ of about 90, can sign more than 1,000 words, understand 2,000 spoken words, and can initiate conversation and ask questions. She’s also a pretty darn good artist, as portrayed in the original watercolors displayed on her Web site (www.koko.org).

Koko’s intelligence and her ability to express empathy and deep emotion have forever changed our perception of gorillas and how we relate to them. Who can forget the touching images of Koko cuddling her first kitten, “All Ball” in the January 1985 issue of “National Geographic” magazine? Not long after the photos were published, All Ball was tragically killed by a car and Koko’s wrenching sobs and her distraught sign, “Koko Sad,” still haunt us today.

Not only is Koko the world’s most famous gorilla, she is also an ambassador for her species. As part of the Gorilla Foundation, Patterson and Koko are working to save the species from extinction. This inevitable outcome could occur in the next few decades if the gorilla’s natural habitat—the forests of Africa —are not kept from being destroyed and poachers continue to hunt the gorilla for “bushmeat.”

The Foundation, currently located near Santa Cruz, California, is raising funds to construct a gorilla preserve on west Maui, Hawaii. The 70-acre sanctuary—provided by the Maui Land and Pineapple Company—will allow Koko, her mate, Ndume, and many other gorillas to live in a more natural environment and afford Koko the chance to have children and teach sign language to the next generation. To learn more about the preserve and how you can help, visit www.gorilla.org. As Koko says: “Time Hurry Go!”

Alex and Koko have proven that animals can teach us about compassion, communication, and conservation. Isn’t it time we started paying attention?

 

What are you and your animals talking about? Let Karen know by sending her an email at  karenleestevens@cox.net.

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By Karen Lee Stevens,
Founder & President, ALL FOR ANIMALS, Inc.
Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved.

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