The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) was located in Ellensburg, WA from 1980-2013. The last two chimpanzees—Tatu and Loulis—enjoyed space, attention, and an exceptional standard of care. Originally, the group consisted of five chimpanzees, but Moja died in 2002, Washoe (the first nonhuman to acquire human sign language) died in 2007, and Dar died in November 2012. These chimpanzees are all proficient in American Sign Language (ASL). CHCI followed the basic tenets of dedication to the chimpanzees: no breeding, no transfer to other facilities, and a lifetime commitment to their residents’ care and well-being. The institution’s main focus was on enrichment for the chimpanzees, and its policy was that non-invasive observational studies come second to the needs of the primates.
Former directors Roger S. Fouts, PhD, Deborah H. Fouts, MS (Project R&R Advisory Board members), Mary Lee Jensvold, PhD, and their staff were staunch defenders of chimpanzees. They continue to argue strenuously against the captivity of chimpanzees and are committed to ending the use of chimpanzees in all forms of entertainment and research. Experts in the area of chimpanzee and human communication, the Fouts’s and Jensvold educate audiences about the harm done to chimpanzees in all areas of research, including cognitive, language, and other behavioral studies.