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[Josh Greenman <josh.greenman AT gmail.com>]

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050723/NEWS08/507230318/1010

Senator meets the apes 

The 10 bonobos and orangutans of the Great Ape Trust of Iowa put on
quite a show during a visit by Sen. Tom Harkin, who stopped by to see,
and chat with, the animals.

By PERRY BEEMAN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
July 23, 2005 

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin helped a couple of new constituents - Panbanisha
and Kanzi - score some Chicken of the Sea on Friday.

His two new friends are bonobos at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa in
southeast Des Moines. Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, toured the complex
Friday afternoon.

Trust scientists are studying the cognitive and communication skills
of great apes - eight bonobos and two orangutans. They also are
working to protect the species from extinction in the apes' respective
homes, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia.

"This is amazing!" Harkin said at the end of his 11/2-hour visit.
"It's pretty remarkable you have something like this in Iowa. You'd
think it would have been in Kenya or something."

Harkin said the studies are valuable basic research.

"There is enough here about examining apes to learn some basics about
language. Because of the clear similarities of apes to humans, it's
worth studying their cognitive abilities and how they learn," the
senator said.

Harkin seemed popular with the apes. They reportedly had no idea
Harkin, who had requested the tour, serves on a committee important to
research grants for the center, although lead scientist Sue
Savage-Rumbaugh did tell Panbanisha that Harkin was an important
visitor.

That might explain why Panbanisha started making a knife-sharp tool
out of rock the moment she saw the senator. The ape wanted to show her
tool-making skills, Savage-Rumbaugh said.

Harkin toured the high-tech bonobo building after visiting orangutans
Azy and Knobi in a three-story facility next door.

Lead orangutan researcher Rob Shumaker briefed Harkin, warning the
senator that Azy would soon make some loud noise to announce his turf.
That nonaggressive display is commonplace for male orangutans,
Shumaker explained.

Shortly after Shumaker invited Harkin to walk down a corridor to get a
closer look at Azy through the grates of an enclosure, Azy suddenly
threw two huge plastic barrels, making a heck of a racket.

The apes are here for serious language research, but they spent some
time showing off Friday.

Bonobos Elikya and Maisha wrestled for a half-hour or more when
reporters arrived. Maisha then did a back flip before showing how he
can use a human-style water fountain. He pushed the button, filled his
mouth, then did a somersault before spitting the water on the hard
floor and washing himself with it.

With Savage-Rumbaugh's help, Harkin, who had never seen a bonobo,
communicated with Panbanisha using the lexigram board. The computer
board, featuring a series of abstract symbols, is one of several ways
the apes interact with people.

"Do you have any chicken?" Panbanisha asked. When Harkin looked around
and didn't see chicken, Savage-Rumbaugh said, "Check in the drawer."
Turns out Panbanisha wanted the can of Chicken of the Sea tuna inside.

She also asked Savage- Rumbaugh to bring Kanzi in the room to meet the 
senator.

Harkin apparently made quite an impression on the apes. When he waved
goodbye to Kanzi through the protective glass, Kanzi held his lips up
to the other side of the window and offered the senator a smooch.