lucy and kanzi on radiolab

i just spent an hour listening to this radiolab podcast which features two stories of beings that blurred the boundaries between humans and other animals.

i remember reading about lucy temerlin, the chimpanzee, when i was a teenager in the 70s, in carl sagan's the dragons of eden. lucy grew up among humans and learned sign language.

the creators of the podcast, as always, do a great job of telling this fascinating, sweet, and ultimately heartbreaking story.

pictures of lucy:
(don't miss the final picture of... a hug...)

click image to source at the great ape trust

the second part of the podcast is all about kanzi, the bonobo... who speaks english!

the striking thing about both these stories isn't about the mechanics of eating, clothing or language... it's how humans and primates coexist and interact in a newly created intermediate culture in which the interpersonal relationships between beings matter more than the particular differences between species.