Kanzi
bonobo research subject
Kanzi (October 28, 1980 – March 18, 2025) was a male bonobo who was the subject of numerous studies on great ape language and cognition. According to Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, a primatologist who has studied the bonobo since the 1990s, Kanzi exhibited advanced linguistic aptitude.
Kanzi was notable for his cognitive ability and apparent capacity to understand and manipulate language. He is believed to have been the first non-human great ape to comprehend spoken English. He was also the subject of research into his understanding and usage of symbols to communicate, usually through lexigrams and partial ASL. The information that researchers gathered from Kanzi made a significant impact on the fields of linguistics and cognitive science. Kanzi's behavior and abilities have been the topic of research published in scientific journals, as well as reports in popular media. He died in 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Biography
Kanzi was born in captivity on October 28, 1980, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Lorel and Bosandjo at Yerkes Field Station at Emory University in 1980. Lorel was later moved to the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida, while Bosandjo still currently resides at Yerkes. Within hours of Kanzi's birth, he was adopted by his adoptive mother Matata, a wild-born bonobo who originated from Zaire.
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