One of the most intelligent primates ever studied has passed away at the age of 44. His name was Kanzi, a bonobo renowned for his ability to communicate complex ideas using symbols.
Kanzi passed away unexpectedly on March 18, 2025, at the Ape Conservation and Cognition Initiative (ACCI) research center in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Born on October 28, 1980, Kanzi spent his early years at the Language Research Center at Georgia State University. There, scientists dedicated years to teaching his adoptive mother, Matata, to communicate using symbols known as lexigrams.
While Matata struggled to master this symbolic language, researchers were astonished when young Kanzi spontaneously began using the lexigram board to communicate with humans. Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, who cared for Kanzi throughout his life, reported that the intelligent bonobo successfully communicated over 120 times on his first day of observation, eventually developing a vocabulary of around 3,000 words.
Further research revealed that most of Kanzi’s multi-word phrases were spontaneous, indicating his ability to creatively combine concepts to form novel sentences.
Savage-Rumbaugh recounted how Kanzi once coined the phrase “bad surprise” to describe a practical joke he played on a researcher. He even once threatened to bite one of his caregivers.
One study even found that Kanzi outperformed human toddlers in understanding and obeying complex commands. Researchers eventually realized that Kanzi frequently vocalized the phrases he spelled out with lexigrams. According to ACCI, Kanzi is considered the first great ape known to understand spoken English.
“Kanzi understood novel sentences and combined lexigram symbols to describe new objects and foods,” the researchers explained.
During his time at the facility previously managed by the Great Ape Trust, Kanzi gained international attention on several occasions, including an appearance on a popular YouTube channel playing the game Minecraft.
Despite his remarkable skills and accomplishments, the extent of Kanzi’s linguistic abilities remained a topic of debate among researchers. Some believed that Kanzi’s actions constituted communication rather than true language, similar to Koko the gorilla who could “speak” using sign language.
ACCI stated that Kanzi appeared happy on the day of his death and showed no signs of illness. After breakfast and playing with his nephew, Teco, he laid down for a grooming session with another bonobo, at which point he lost consciousness.
“While we will not know the cause of his death until we receive the results of the necropsy, Kanzi was being treated for heart disease, and he underwent routine EKG and blood pressure monitoring,” ACCI stated.
“Our focus is on ensuring that Kanzi’s bonobo family members and human caregivers receive the care and support they need. We ask for your time and patience as we grieve the loss of our beloved friend, Kanzi.”
Ringkasan
Kanzi, a renowned bonobo celebrated for his communication skills using symbols, passed away unexpectedly on March 18, 2025, at the age of 44 at the ACCI research center in Iowa. He gained recognition for his ability to spontaneously use lexigrams to communicate, developing a vocabulary of approximately 3,000 words and even outperforming human toddlers in understanding complex commands. Kanzi was also considered the first great ape to understand spoken English.
Despite the extent of Kanzi’s abilities being debated, he gained international attention, including an appearance playing Minecraft. On the day of his death, Kanzi appeared happy and showed no signs of illness, but he was being treated for heart disease. The ACCI is currently focused on supporting Kanzi’s bonobo family and caregivers while awaiting the results of a necropsy to determine the cause of death.