Lucy, The Human Chimp On C4

[pastafreak]

Did anyone watch this documentary about a chimp raised as human by American psychologists...this failed. She then was taken back to the Gambia with one of the students that cared for her in an attempt to be released into the wild.
Frustratingly sad, and shocking that scientists would experiment like that with an animal.
Very good documentary though.

[ladybirder]

Yes Pasta, I watched it. I was glad to hear the female half of the American psychologists say she would never take a baby from its mother again.
Poor beautiful Lucy.

[naomi24]

I've recorded it but after reading this I don't think I'll watch it. From what's been said it will be too sad for me. I expected it to be quite lovely - but it sounds far from that. I'll give it a miss.

[ladybirder]

Naomi it is good and not all sad, she does have a lot of good years. It's worth a watch just to see the beautiful relationship she has with the young lady who looks after her in the Gambia, attempting to teach her how to look after herself and integrate with the other chimps. Do give it a go.

[burlyshirley]

I wouldn't watch it because I didn't agree with the experiment and I doubt they would do such a thing today.

[ladybirder]

I had to steel myself to watch it.
Unfortunately baby chimps etc are still taken away from their mothers and sold in shops and markets in many parts of the world. Anyone who watches Monkey World will know the marvellous work done by Alison Cronin MBE and her team in rescuing apes and bringing them to her sanctuary in Dorset.

[pastafreak]

I was really looking forward to it. My horror at the method of acquisition of the baby chimp, combined with the treatment of her as a human baby...in fact she was referred to as their 'daughter'...almost caused me to stop watching. But I stuck with it, and was amazed at the determination of Janis Carter to see Lucy become a whole chimp...no longer a pampered pet. 30 years on, she still works in the Gambia rehabilitating orphaned chimps. A totally dedicated lady.
So I'd definitely recommend viewing, no matter what your views may be regarding the original experiment.

[emmie]

i wouldn't watch programmes like this, as i would likely get upset. The chimpanzee should not be raised by humans, she would better off with her own kind, if that now is remotely feasible then good.

[pastafreak]

This happened almost 40 years ago emmie. The people who 'adopted' her were doing a nurture vs nature experiment...which would not be condoned now.
It was worth watching to see the tireless devotion of Janis Carter...then a grad student...in getting Lucy rehabilitated. Besides, I see programs like thus as education.

[Peter Pedant]

I was gonna watch it

very interesting to see the twists and turns in these series of expertments. Part - I think Lucy was one, Washoe was certainly another - was to see if chimps acquired language.

when these were being done - we as students were told they had acquired language. Cue all those sci fi films.

W was asked - what is the colour of the symbol for banana ( red - geddit and not yellow) and she signed 'yellow' !

only they werent
the carers. experimentalists were making it up - deceiving themselves. Video and statistical recordings showed they went thro the signs until the adults responded. The adults cooed - look look that is a four word sentence! They werent. They were random asssortments

so now there were 40 or 50 non communicating chimps who could not be returned to the wild. They had sort of chimp camps. There were early doubters, not me. I was taken in. The chimps did not use signs amongst themselves. Chimps in captivity tend to get bad tempered as they get older

An early doubter who was involved re3visited one camp and was greeted by a few chimps who went over and were signing wildly to him. He didnt return. Did he say oops "I was wrong?" Early doubters dont do that sort of thing

Lucy's carer got a bit too involved didnt she?

The original had a scientific basis - do chimps have language? - I think they expected yes to be honest.
and over 50 y there is an awful lot of lardy-dah about it

would I expect a channel four hack who had done an -ology at uni and assorted green studies, to sort it out for us,
or peddle their own point of view?

the latter.

[Peter Pedant]

blimey
she signed 'red'! because the symbol for banana was a red square ( kinda)
damn