Dar, a chimpanzee at the CWU Chimpanzee Human Communications Institute, died Saturday, Nov. 24. He was 36. (Contributed)
Posted: Monday, November 26, 2012 10:38 am | Updated: 10:41 am, Mon Nov 26, 2012.
Dar, a chimpanzee who learned to communicate with American Sign Language and lived at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University, died Saturday morning.
Mary Lee Jensvold, director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute, said Dar died of unknown causes and described his passing as sudden and unexpected. She said an autopsy will be performed, and she hopes the procedure can take place today. Dar was not suffering from any known health problems, Jensvold said. Many captive male chimpanzees die in their mid-30s, Jensvold said, but some can live to be 40 or 50 years old.
Dar — short for Dar es Salaam, a city in Tanzania — was born 36 years ago at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and learned to communicate with American Sign Language at a young age, according to a website established by the Friends of Washoe. The Friends of Washoe is an organization founded to promote human-chimp relations and care for the adopted family of Washoe, the Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute's first chimpanzee.
Allen Gardner and Beatrix Gardner raised Dar as a deaf human child at the University of Reno Nevada, according to a news release issued by CWU. Dar moved to CWU in 1981, one year after Roger and Deborah Fouts created the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute.
"There's a lot of sad people here. We're grieving the loss of a dear, dear friend," Jensvold said.
A memorial will be organized for Dar, but no definitive plans are in place yet, Jensvold said. She did not know whether the ceremony would be open to the public.
About 6,000 people visit the institute where Dar lived every year, Jensvold said.
"A lot of people have been touched by Dar," Jensvold said. She said Dar loved to play chase and tended to be a bit reserved.
"Once you get to know him, he was a really good friend," Jensvold said.
Human companions described Dar as easygoing, relaxed and good natured, according to Friends of Washoe's website. He stood just more than 5 feet tall and weighed more than 150 pounds, and his father, Paleface, was one of the largest chimpanzees living in captivity. His mother, Kitty, lives at The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas.
The other chimpanzees at the institute in Ellensburg are Tatu and Loulis.
Posted in News on Monday, November 26, 2012 10:38 am. Updated: 10:41 am.
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