Great Ape Trust
Encyclopedia
The Great Ape Trust is a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) ape sanctuary and language study in Des Moines, Iowa
, that houses orangutans and bonobo
s. The sanctuary opened to primates on September 28, 2004. The mission of the Great Ape Trust is studying language, culture, intelligence, and tool use in primates. It is primarily accomplished by teaching orangutans language and allowing bonobo
s to acquire it, both from infancy.
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, that houses orangutans and bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s. The sanctuary opened to primates on September 28, 2004. The mission of the Great Ape Trust is studying language, culture, intelligence, and tool use in primates. It is primarily accomplished by teaching orangutans language and allowing bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s to acquire it, both from infancy.
Primary researchers
- William M. FieldsWilliam M. FieldsWilliam M. Fields , also known by the lexigram , is an American qualitative investigator studying language, culture, and tools in non-human primates. He is best known for his collaboration with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh beginning in 1997 at the Language Research Center of Georgia State University. There...
, Director of Scientific Research - Sue Savage-RumbaughSue Savage-RumbaughSue Savage-Rumbaugh , also known by the lexigram , is a primatologist most known for her work with two bonobos, Kanzi and Panbanisha, investigating their use of "Great Ape language" using lexigrams and computer-based keyboards...
, Scientist with Special Standing, former director - Benjamin Beck
- Karyl Swartz