Talking Bonobos -Kanzi and Panbanisha

"This video illustrates the way in which these bonobos can tell us about the meanings of their vocalizations by using a board of symbols, as they speak. It is possible to see that they enjoy speaking to humans. It this case, Kanzi is very happy to speak to William Fields because he can tell that he is speaking to someone able to understand his speech and someone who likes him very much. Often Panbanisha is aksi speaking in the background and for those who know the bonobos; voices it is very easy to tell which bonobo is speaking. They also watch a video of themselves from the previous day and react to it. Panbanisha then demonstrates her ability draw the lexigrams for "A-Frame" (a favored location in their 50 acre Atlanta forest) and the lexigram "No" - indicating that earlier she was told "no," that we could not go there then. But she wants to do there now, and so indicates by drawing a line to the "A-frame" symbol she has made. In addition she draws the lexigram for "Scrubby Pine Nook" is a location on the way to "A-Frame," and then makes dot, on the floor, and points to it by the Scrubby Pine Nook. She is using her own drawing as she would use a keyboard to say where she would like to go. She then gestures toward Dr. Sue Rumbaugh and the door that leads outside.