The First InterSpecies-Internet Conversation

Visit the Bonobo Hope Initiative website at https://www.bonobohope.org Kanzi and Panbanisha respond to children in Japan over video via satellite. This is the first time an InterNet Connection was made between a human and a nonhuman species. It was filmed by NHK of Japan who arranged for the connection. The topic of conversation was about the foods that the bonobos would like the children to place in a box that would then be "flown" to Georgia, and a mythical figure would bring this box to the bonobos. This video does no illustrate their daily life and was no so intended.  Where requests seem repetitive, it is for purposes of filming and allow different children to participate on their end. The bonobos could hear that someone was actually preparing the box in the lab and wanted them bring it as soon as they heard this. The bonobos did understand that this was a live interactive connection on this first attempt.  Kanzi always like to lead - as can be seen here. In the video are Panbanisha with her two sons Nyota and Nathan. The footage also illustrates the communications occurring between and within species, in a group of 4 bonobos that comprehend human speech and lexigrams. Two of the bonobos are adults and two are children. All are related to the matriarch Matata, who was wild-reared as raised the bonobos with Dr's Sue and Duane Rumbaugh, Sue's sister Liz Pugh, and others.