The Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary in Des Moines is home to a ground breaking thirty year old language research project, at least one superstar Bonobo, and recently it has become home to controversy and funding shortfalls that may end the project. Host Charity Nebbe takes you inside Bonobo Hope.
The Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary
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"Talk of Iowa" host Charity Nebbe meets 2-year-old bonobo, Teco
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Charity meets Kanzi, Teco's father and one of the first bonobos to use a lexigram keyboard
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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The lexigram board these bonobos use to communicate represents nearly 400 words
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Kanzi uses the lexigram to communicate with humans at the trust
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Teco is in the process of learning the lexigram symbols
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Teco waits by his father, Kanzi's, enclosure
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Kanzi greets the IPR visitors
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Teco plays with Charity's shoe
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Kanzi bangs his fist on the glass to get human attention
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Chairman of the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary board, Ken Schweller, shows us a program he designed for lexigram keyboard use
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Charity talks to Teco as he plays
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Heather Pugh, who grew up with the bonobos, plays with Teco
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Former caretaker at the facility, Susannah Maisel, takes care of Teco
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Susannah Maisel and Teco
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, the director and senior scientist at the trust, disciplines Teco for misbehaving
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Elikya, Teco's mother and Kanzi's current mate, rests in Kanzi's enclosure
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Although Elikya is Kanzi's mate, she is one of the bonobos at the trust who does not communicate via lexigram
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Kanzi enjoys his present from his IPR visitors
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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The bonobo's greenhouse play-area
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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The bonobos at the trust create art themselves, as well as communicating with humans in order to direct the way paintings are made. Here, the dog painting was instructed by a bonobo, while the painting on the left was created solely by Kanzi.
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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The bonobos also indirectly create drawings via their human caretakers
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Caretaker Liz Pugh cuddles with Teco
Emily Woodbury / IPR
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Emily Woodbury / IPR
