The Story of Modern Research into Ape Communication Begins in 1931, When Winthrop and Luella Kellogg, a Husband-Wife Psychologist Team, Decided to Raise a Chimp Named Gua Alongside Their Biological Son, Donald. the Goal Was to See If Gua Would Pick up Language, Just as a Human Child Would. the Landmark Experiment Inspired Many Similar Efforts—but Research with Gua Herself Lasted Less Than a Year. She Was Failing to Pick up Language. (Donald, on the Other Hand, Was Reportedly Making Chimpanzee Sounds.) So the Kelloggs Called It Quits and Gave Her to a Primate Center. Less Than a Year Later, She Died from Pneumonia.

Researchers Continue to Work with Captive Apes to Try to Answer Questions About How They Communicate with One Another and How That Relates to the Complexity of Their Social and Emotional Lives. but Focus Is Also Increasingly Turning to Directly Observing Apes in Their Natural Environment. as Hobaiter Says, “If We Want to Know If Humans Are Unique in Our Language Use, We Must Look at What Apes Are Doing Naturally. ”

To Communicate with Apes, We Must Do It on Their Terms | Nova

By Elena Rostova

• Oct 9, 2026 • 9 min read

To Communicate with Apes, We Must Do It on Their Terms | Nova

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

On August 24, 1661, Samuel Pepys, an Administrator in England’s Navy and Famous Diarist, Took a Break from Work to Go See a “ Strange Creature ” That Had Just Arrived on a Ship from West Africa. Most Likely, It Was a Chimpanzee—the First Pepys Had Ever Seen. as He Wrote in His Diary, the “Great Baboon” Was So Human-Like That He Wondered If It Were Not the Offspring of a Man and a “She-Baboon. ”

Elena Rostova

Lead Health, Wellness & Medical Journalist

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.

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