ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Washoe (chimpanzee)

Washoe is a chimpanzee. Chimpanzees are animals that are a lot like people. They have faces that look kind of like ours and they have arms and legs just like we do. They also have a brain that helps them think and feel things.

Washoe is a special chimpanzee because she knows how to use sign language to communicate with people. Sign language is a way of talking using your hands instead of your mouth. Washoe learned how to use sign language from some very smart people who taught her how to talk using her hands.

Washoe can use sign language to ask for things she wants, like food or a toy, and she can also tell people how she's feeling. She can say if she's happy, sad, or scared. This is really amazing because it shows that animals like chimpanzees can communicate with us in a way that we understand.

Overall, Washoe the chimpanzee is a really amazing animal that can use sign language to talk with people. This shows that animals are really smart and we can learn a lot from them.