Washoe, a female chimpanzee believed to be the first non-human to acquire human language, has died of natural causes at a research institute.
Washoe, who learned American Sign Language in a research project
in Nevada, died Tuesday night at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University's Ellensburg campus, said institute co-founders Roger and Deborah Fouts.
She was born in Africa about 1965.
A memorial is planned for Nov. 12.