All language subtitles for Project.Nim.2011.WEBRip.x264-ION10

CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY
LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT

[CRICKETS]

[PRIMATES SCREECHING]

[INDISTINCT POPPING]

CHIMPANZEE INFANT LEFT
WITH HIS MOTHER IS
A THING, A LUMP.

TAKEN AWAY,
HE ACQUIRES--

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS--
PERFORMANCES,

WHICH ARE
WELL NIGH UNBELIEVABLE.

[GRUNTING]

Woman: NIM WAS BORN
AT THE PRIMATE CENTER
IN OKLAHOMA,

AND I WENT OUT THERE
TO GET HIM.

I HAD NEVER BEEN NEAR
THAT MANY CHIMPANZEES.

IT WAS FRIGHTENING
AND INTIMIDATING,

AND I KNEW DR. LEMMON AND
HIS WIFE WERE WATCHING ME

TO SEE WHAT KIND
OF A MOTHER WOULD I BE.

CAROLYN, NIM'S MOTHER,
WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE

HOLDING NIM.

AND SHE KNEW
WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN
BETTER THAN I DID.

SHE HAD HAD 6 OF
HER PREVIOUS BABIES REMOVED,

APPARENTLY,
IN THE SAME WAY.

[METAL JANGLING]

[DOOR OPENS]

WHEN THE TIME CAME
TO TAKE NIM FROM HIS MOTHER,

SHE INSTANTLY TOOK ON

THIS--THIS DRAMA,
THIS FEELING OF
SOMETHING ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

[CHIMPANZEE
SCREECHING]

Woman: AND DR. LEMMON
SHOT HER WITH
A TRANQUILIZING GUN.

[SCREECHING]

AND THEN SAID,

"QUICK, WE HAVE TO GET HIM
BEFORE SHE FALLS OVER
AND FALLS ON HIM."

[SCREECHING]

SHE WAS TRYING
TO PROTECT HIM
AND CRADLE HIM.

SO HE RACED IN
AND GOT NIM,

AND HANDED NIM TO ME,

AND SAID, "GO BACK,"
YOU KNOW.

"GO BACK
IN THE OTHER SPACE."

[CHIMPANZEE
SCREECHING]

HE WAS VERY DENSE,

UNLIKE A HUMAN BABY
THAT HAS FAT.

HE WAS DENSE AND HARD.

HE DIDN'T STRUGGLE.
HE DIDN'T TRY TO GET AWAY.

HE JUST SCREAMED.

AS MUCH AS HE MAY BE
SCREAMING AND PROTESTING,

HE'S ALSO CLINGING.

HE WAS ATTACHING
FOR DEAR LIFE.

Man: WOULDN'T IT BE
EXCITING TO COMMUNICATE
WITH A CHIMP

AND FIND OUT
WHAT IT WAS THINKING?

[SCREECHES]

IF THEY COULD BE TAUGHT
TO ARTICULATE

WHAT THEY WERE
THINKING ABOUT,

THIS WOULD BE
AN INCREDIBLE EXPANSION
OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

AND POSSIBLY GIVE US
SOME INSIGHT

INTO HOW LANGUAGE,
IN FACT, DID EVOLVE.

AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHY
I STARTED PROJECT NIM.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Woman: I DON'T KNOW
WHAT WAS IN HIS MIND,
BUT HE JUST CALLED.

[RING]

HE WAS ASKING ME TO
BRING AN INFANT CHIMPANZEE
INTO MY HOME,

RAISE THIS INFANT
AS IF HE WERE A CHILD,

AND SEE IF
HE ACQUIRE LANGUAGE

AS A FUNCTION OF BEING
PART OF A FAMILY.

Prof. Herbert Terrace:
STEPHANIE WAS A FORMER
STUDENT OF MINE.

SHE HAD A LARGE FAMILY
OF HER OWN CHILDREN

AND HER HUSBAND'S
CHILDREN,

WAS EXCEEDINGLY EMPATHIC
AND WARM,

AND A CHIMP COULD NOT
HAVE A BETTER MOTHER.

Stephanie LaFarge:
I KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT CHIMPANZEES,

AND I NEVER ACTUALLY
SAT DOWN TO STUDY THEM, UH,

AS ONE COULD HAVE,
AS I SHOULD HAVE, PERHAPS.

BUT MY APPETITE
AND MY DRIVE TO HAVE

THAT INTIMATE
A RELATIONSHIP
WITH AN ANIMAL WAS--

NOTHING WOULD HAVE
STOPPED THAT.

THE FACT THAT WE COULD SHARE
LANGUAGE WITH AN ANIMAL

SEEMED LIKE A VERY RADICAL
POSSIBILITY AT THAT TIME.

Herb:
IT HAD BEEN KNOWN
FOR SOME TIME THAT

CHIMPS AREN'T ABLE
TO MAKE THE SOUNDS
OF HUMAN LANGUAGE.

Second man:
DO THIS, VICKY.
[BLOWS RASPBERRY]

SO WHY NOT TEACH 'EM
SIGN LANGUAGE?

THE REAL BREAKTHROUGH
WOULD BE IF,
LIKE HUMAN CHILDREN,

A CHIMPANZEE
COULD CREATE
GRAMMATICAL SENTENCES.

SO WITHOUT
MUCH PREPARATION,

AND WITHOUT REALLY
ASKING PERMISSION OF
MY CHILDREN, MY HUSBAND,

I SAID,
"FINE. I CAN DO IT.

"I EVEN HAVE THE FUNDS
TO DO IT WITH.

WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY
ABOUT MONEY."

AND SO IT WAS LAUNCHED.
THE EXPERIMENT WAS LAUNCHED.

Herb:
WHEN NIM CAME
TO NEW YORK,

HE WAS BARELY
2 WEEKS OLD.

THE IDEA WAS THAT
HE WOULD BE TREATED,
IN EVERY WAY,

LIKE A HUMAN INFANT.

[DISTANT SIREN]

Stephanie:
I HAD RECENTLY MOVED
TO A BROWNSTONE

ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE
WITH MY 3 CHILDREN

AND WITH MY HUSBAND,
WHO HAD 4 CHILDREN--
WER LAFARGE.

WER WAS A POET
AND A WRITER.

HE REDEFINED HIMSELF,

BECAME WHAT, AT THAT TIME,
WAS CALLED A RICH HIPPIE.

[DOG BARKS]

A NEW HUSBAND,
NEW FAMILY,

NEW HOUSE,

AND I BROUGHT NIM
INTO THAT RATHER
TURBULENT SITUATION.

IT JUST HAPPENED.
THERE WAS NO FAMILY
DISCUSSION ABOUT,

SHOULD WE,
SHOULDN'T WE? YOU KNOW.

IT WAS JUST,
"OH, WE'RE HAVING A CHIMP,

WE'RE GOING TO TEACH IT
SIGN LANGUAGE."

AND THEN THE REALITY OF IT
IS SORT OF HITTING YOU,

THAT IT'S REALLY--
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALIVE,

IT'S NOT A DOLL,
IT'S NOT A TOY. IT'S...

IT'S NOT A HUMAN,
IT'S A CHIMP,
AND IT'S AMAZING.

SWEET LITTLE NEWBORN BABY,

NEEDY CREATURE. SO...

I THINK I FELL IN LOVE
INSTANTLY.

Stephanie:
NIM DIDN'T LIKE WER.

AND WER DIDN'T LIKE HIM.

ALMOST INSTANTLY,
I SAW HOW COMPLICATED

THIS WAS GOING TO BE.

I THINK WER WENT ALONG
WITH IT.

IT WAS CLEARLY STEPHANIE
SORT OF SAYING,
"LET'S HAVE A CHIMP."

[SIGHS]

IT WAS THE SEVENTIES.
[CHUCKLES]

Stephanie:
I BREAST FED HIM
FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

IT SEEMED
COMPLETELY NATURAL.

EVERYTHING WAS
ABOUT TREATING HIM
LIKE A HUMAN BEING.

BY THE TIME I HAD NIM,
OF COURSE,

I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE
WITH BABIES.

I WASN'T PREPARED AT ALL
FOR THE WILD ANIMAL IN HIM

AND THE DRIVE.

BY THE TIME HE WAS
3 MONTHS OLD, I THINK,

AND STARTING
TO BE AMBULATORY,

HE WAS JUST RIGHT THERE.

NOTHING PASSIVE,
NOTHING PASSIVE EVER.

YOU KNOW,
I THINK HE FIGURED THAT

HE COULD JUST GET
IN BETWEEN
WER AND STEPHANIE,

ON SOME LEVEL.

WHEN WER PUT HIS ARM
AROUND HER,

AND--AND NIM JUST,
YOU KNOW,

HALF ASLEEP
HAVING A BOTTLE,
YOU KNOW--

TURNED AND BIT WER
ON THE ARM QUITE HARD.

HE DIDN'T WANT WER
IN THE PICTURE.

HE WANTED STEPHANIE
ALL FOR HIMSELF.

Stephanie:
WER DEFINITELY FELT
EXCLUDED.

NIM HAD JUST BECOME
PART OF MY BEING.

THAT WAS INCOMPATIBLE
WITH THE ROLE THAT
I PLAYED AS WIFE.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]
[BARKING]

[RING]

"HERB'S COMING,
HERB'S COMING,
HERB'S COMING."

HERB'S COMING WAS
A BIG DEAL.

I WOULD JUST GO OVER
AND VISIT,

JUST TO SEE
WHAT HIS STATE WAS

AND HOW HE WAS
GETTING ALONG.

HERB WAS
INFINITELY EXCITING.

I ADMIRED HIS INTELLECT
AND HIS GOALS

AND HIS ARROGANCE,
ALL THOSE THINGS.

THERE WAS SOMETHING...

THAT DIDN'T SIT RIGHT
WITH ME ABOUT HIM.

[BARKING]

Stephanie: THE PEOPLE
THAT I AM THE CLOSEST TO
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE

ARE PEOPLE THAT
I HAVE HAD SOME PERIOD
OF SEXUAL CONTACT WITH.

I DON'T THINK THAT
THE PREVIOUS
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN HERB AND MYSELF
MADE A DIFFERENCE
TO THE PROJECT AT ALL,

UM, OTHER THAN

IT WAS PART
OF THE GLUE...

THAT ALLOWED IT
TO HAPPEN.

HERB DIDN'T COME
VERY MUCH.

HE WASN'T PART OF
THE CARETAKING PACKAGE
AT ALL.

YOUNG NEWBORN CHIMPS

ARE ALWAYS RAISED
BY THEIR MOTHERS,
NOT BY THEIR FATHERS.

UM, AND I DIDN'T SEE
ANY WAY OF TRYING
TO CHANGE--

OR ANY POINT IN TRYING
TO CHANGE THAT.

FOR BETTER OR WORSE,
I NEVER REGARDED HIM
AS A--AS A CHILD.

I REGARDED HIM AS
AN INTELLIGENT,
PERSONABLE CENTER

OF A SCIENTIFIC PROJECT.

I HAD AN IMPLICIT FAITH

THAT NIM
WOULD LEARN SIGNS.

WE HAD TO WAIT AND SEE.

HOW DO THEY START
TEACHING THE CHILD
TO SIGN?

DOES THE CHILD JUST WATCH
AND WHATEVER? I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN,
IT WAS A PROBLEM.

WE WERE TRYING
TO TEACH THIS CHIMP
SIGN LANGUAGE,

AND NOBODY IN THE HOUSE
REALLY WAS FLUENT
IN SIGN LANGUAGE.

WE WOULD MOLD
HIS HAND INTO

THE SIGN FOR "DRINK,"
WHICH IS THIS,

AND THEN GIVE HIM
THE BOTTLE TO DRINK.

IT JUST HAPPENED.

Stephanie:
IT WAS JUST AMAZING,

AND I THOUGHT,
PIECE OF CAKE.

I WAS
ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED.

HE PICKED UP
QUITE A FEW SIGNS AFTER
THAT RATHER QUICKLY.

"EAT," "ME,"

"NIM" WERE PART OF
HIS FIRST SIGNS.

"HUG" WAS ANOTHER ONE.

AND IT WAS AS IF THEN,
OK, WE'RE OFF NOW.

WE JUST GOT TO BUILD UP
THE VOCABULARY.

AS MUCH AS
WE WERE MOLDING HIM,

WE WERE MOLDING
THESE DAMN HANDS
AND ALL THIS STUFF,

HE WAS STARTING
TO MOLD US.

HE KNEW EVERY DYNAMIC

THAT WAS IN THE ROOM
INSTANTLY.

Jenny Lee: HE KNEW
WHEN YOU WERE UPSET,

WHATEVER HAD HAPPENED
IN--WHATEVER, YOU KNOW,
13- 14-YEAR-OLD'S LIFE.

AND HE WOULD COME OVER,

AND HE WOULD JUST COME
AND SIT WITH YOU

AND HUG YOU
AND THEN JUST KISS
THE TEARS AWAY.

AND IT WAS AMAZING,
YOU KNOW.
JUST UNCONDITIONAL.

Stephanie:
HE WAS MY LIFELINE,
HE WAS MY BUDDY,

AND HE WAS BRINGING
SOMETHING OUT IN ME,

A FREEDOM
TO DEFY EXPECTATION
AND AUTHORITY.

HIS GREATEST FOCUS
OF DEFIANCE WAS
AGAINST WER.

HE WOULD, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF PULL BOOKS
OFF THE SHELVES,

AND WER LIKED HIS BOOKS
A CERTAIN WAY.

WHEN HE SAW WER COMING,
HE WOULD REALLY DO IT.

[SNIFFING]

IT WAS VERY FOCUSED.
IT WAS INTENTIONAL.

"FUCK YOU,
I'M TOUCHING THESE."

[SIGHS]

IT WAS A PROBLEM.

WER WAS SO IMPOTENT.

I MEAN, WHAT COULD HE DO?
HE'D CHASE HIM AROUND--

"DROP THAT,"
YOU KNOW? BLAH, BLAH.

I MEAN,
HE WON EVERY TIME.

NIM SAW HERB AS
HIS NEXT ADULT MALE
CHALLENGE.

I MEAN, THAT IS THE LIFE
THAT HE'S HARDWIRED FOR,

TO TAKE ON
INCREASINGLY POWERFUL
MALE FIGURES

UNTIL HE'S THE TOP.

WHEN HERB WOULD COME OVER
EXPECTING TO STEP IN

AND HAVE CONTROL OF NIM,
AND HE COULDN'T AND DIDN'T,

WE--WE LOVED IT.
WE LOVED IT.

I CORNERED NIM

AND JUST WENT TO
PULL HIM OUT OF SOME...

HIDING PLACE,
AND HE BIT ME.

FRANKLY, EVERYBODY
IN THE FAMILY GOT
A KICK OUT OF NIM

DOING JUST
WHAT HERB HATED.

NO ONE EVER PUT HIM
IN HIS PLACE,

AND HE JUST GREW
MORE AND MORE AND MORE--
MORE POWERFUL,

AND THAT WAS EXCITING
TO ME.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TRY
TO CONTROL HIM IN ANY WAY.

IN FACT, WE ENJOYED
JUST LETTING HIM HANG OUT

AND SEE HOW IT WENT.

[NIM PANTING]

[DOG BARKING]

Herb:
STEPHANIE BEING THE KIND
OF MOTHER SHE WAS

WAS NOT VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT DISCIPLINE.

IT WAS SORT OF
THE HIPPIE MENTALITY,

AND I THINK
WHAT I WOULD TELL HER

WOULD GO IN ONE EAR
AND OUT THE OTHER.

Stephanie:
HERB WOULD HAVE WANTED
A SCHEDULE AND A STRUCTURE

AND CHARTED PROGRESS
AND NOTES AND ALL OF THAT.

I DIDN'T SUPPLY THAT.

I DID--
COULDN'T CREATE THAT,

AND I DON'T THINK
NIM WOULD HAVE
THRIVED IN THAT.

[BARKING]

I WAS TAKING CLASSES
AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY,

AND THERE WAS
A SMALL SIGN THAT SAID,

"RESEARCH ASSISTANT NEEDED.
COURSE CREDIT GRANTED."

A MAN OPENED THE DOOR,

AND HE WAS
COMPLETELY BREATHLESS.

HE--ALSO,
HE'S ONE OF THOSE MEN
WHO WAS BALDING ON THE TOP,

SO HE HAD HIS HAIR
PASTED DOWN.

BUT HE WAS SO UPSET
AND DISHEVELED

THAT HIS HAIR WAS STANDING
STRAIGHT UP ON ONE SIDE.

HE EXPLAINED IT WAS
A LANGUAGE PROJECT,

AND I IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTOOD
THE SCIENTIFIC RELEVANCE.

NIM WAS GOING TO TEST

THE NATURE VERSUS NURTURE
HYPOTHESES

THAT WERE PREVAILING
AT THE TIME.

IT REALLY WAS AT
THE CUSP OF SCIENCE.

Herb: YOU KNOW,
SOME THINGS ARE JUST
IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS

ABOUT SOMEONE
FROM THE BEGINNING.

YOU KNOW WHAT KIND
OF PERSON YOU HAVE.

I THINK SHE WAS 18,
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

Laura-Ann:
AT THE TIME, NIM WAS IN
STEPHANIE LAFARGE'S HOUSE.

AND MY FIRST JOB WAS
TO, BASICALLY, BABY-SIT,

TO GO TO THE HOUSE
AND, OSTENSIBLY,

TEACH HIM SIGN LANGUAGE.

SHE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE
AS A...

CUTE LITTLE THING
FROM RAMAPO.

WHEN I GOT THERE,
I WAS ACTUALLY
REALLY SURPRISED.

THERE WAS UTTER CHAOS.

THERE WAS NOTHING.

THIS WAS
A SCIENTIFIC PROJECT.

THERE WERE NO JOURNALS.
THERE WERE NO LOG BOOKS.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHO WAS COVERING NIM,

WHEN THEY WERE GOING
TO BE COVERING NIM,

WHO WOULD BE TEACHING NIM,

WHEN THEY WOULD BE
TEACHING NIM.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THEY WERE GOING
TO TEACH NIM.

Stephanie:
SHE QUICKLY FELT
HER POWER.

IT WAS COMPLETELY VISIBLE.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY
HAD TO ADAPT TO IT.

SHE WANTED
THAT MOTHER ROLE.

THIS ANIMAL...

CLIMBED THE WALLS
ALL DAY.

HE RIPPED APART
STEPHANIE'S HOUSE ALL DAY.

THE KINDS OF THINGS
SHE WAS EXPOSING NIM TO

WERE...ATYPICAL.

[HORNS HONK]

Stephanie: HE LOVED
DRIVING FAST IN CARS.

HE LOVED MOTORCYCLES.
HE LOVED, YOU KNOW,

VIRTUALLY ANYTHING
THRILLING.

HE LIKED ALCOHOL.

YOU'D GIVE HIM A SIP
AND HE'D WANT MORE.

WE GAVE HIM PUFFS
ON A JOINT.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TREAT HIM
LIKE A CHILD.

WE COULD EXPOSE HIM
TO THE SENSATIONS
THAT WE ENJOYED.

I HAD
AN INSTINCTIVE SENSE

THAT SOMETHING WAS
VERY AMISS HERE,

THAT THIS IS NOT
THE WAY YOU TEACH
A CHILD LANGUAGE

OR YOU INTERACT
WITH A CHILD

OR YOU TEACH, UM,
ANYTHING LANGUAGE.

Stephanie:
WHEN NIM BEGAN
TO DISCOVER MY BODY,

MY NAKEDNESS,
HE'D BE CUR--

I MEAN, LIKE A CHILD,
HE WAS UNINTERESTED,

AND THEN ONE DAY
HE WAS INTERESTED.

I NEVER FELT
SEXUALLY ENGAGED
WITH HIM.

THERE WAS A SENSUALITY,
BUT NIM WAS A--WAS A--

YOU KNOW, A PRE-TEEN.

Laura-Ann: STEPHANIE
WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT
IN PSYCHOANALYSIS.

HER QUESTIONS HAD TO DO
WITH THE OEDIPAL COMPLEX,

AND SHE WAS INTERESTED
IN NIM'S MASTURBATION

AND HOW HE MASTURBATED.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

I REALIZED THAT
I COULD NOT DO WHAT
I CALL GOOD SCIENCE

IN STEPHANIE'S HOME.

IT JUST WASN'T CONDUCIVE
TO THAT.

SO I SET UP A CLASSROOM
AT COLUMBIA.

Stephanie: HE'S GOING
TO TAKE NIM TO SCHOOL,

AND I REALIZE
I'M STARTING
TO LOSE MY ROLE

AS THE PERSON
WHO KNOWS THE BEST
WHAT HE NEEDS.

Laura-Ann:
WE HAD TO GET HIM
IN A CONTEXT

THAT WAS NEUTRAL,
CALMING, SOOTHING.

I JUST MAPPED OUT
A TEACHING PLAN FOR NIM

AND I DID IT.

Herb: SHE WAS
SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS

THAT I MADE HER,
IN A SENSE,

THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION,
THE CURRICULUM.

I WAS FEELING GOOD
ABOUT MYSELF.

ALSO, I WAS SUCCEEDING
WITH NIM.

I COULD SEE
I WAS SUCCEEDING
WITH NIM.

I CAN SEE IT.
I CAN SEE THAT NO ONE

COULD HOLD A CANDLE
TO ME.

THE ONLY THING
THAT MATTERED TO HIM--

IT BECAME
MORE AND MORE TENSE--

YOU KNOW, WORDS, WORDS,
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS.

WORD ORDER, WORD ORDER,
WORD ORDER.

UH, HE COULDN'T--
HE COULDN'T SEE
ANYTHING ELSE.

HERB STARTED SEEING
THE SIGNS GROW ON
THAT LITTLE GRAPH,

EVERY DAY,

EVERY OTHER DAY,
EVERY 3 DAYS,

LAURA TAUGHT HIM
ANOTHER SIGN.

LAURA TAUGHT HIM
ANOTHER SIGN.

AND I JUST WENT
HELL FOR LEATHER.

Herb: NIM'S SIGNING WAS

JUST ALMOST
EXPONENTIALLY
INCREASING.

I WAS VERY HAPPY.

WORDS ARE
A FUCKING NIGHTMARE

WHEN IT COMES
TO CLOSENESS, OFTEN.

UM, AND HERE I WAS
MARRIED TO A POET,

WORKING FOR A LINGUIST.

YOU KNOW, I WAS--
YOU KNOW,

WORDS WERE THE--
BECAME THE ENEMY.

SHE STARTED RESTRICTING

THE TIMES WE CAN COME
IN THE HOUSE.

UH, SHE STARTED
THROWING US OUT.

SHE APPARENTLY WAS,

UH, YOU KNOW,
ENCOURAGED TO BELIEVE THAT
SHE WAS NOW THE MOTHER.

Laura-Ann: STEPHANIE
BEGAN TO THREATEN TO
TAKE NIM AWAY FROM HERB...

AND HERB STARTED PANICKING.

Herb: I DEFINITELY
INITIATED THE MOVE

OUT OF
STEPHANIE'S HOUSE.

I THINK
SHE WAS INITIALLY
QUITE RESISTANT TO IT,

ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE
DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW
NIM WAS GOING TO END UP.

GOD HAD SPOKEN.

THAT'S WHAT
HAD HAPPENED.

THAT'S WHAT
WAS GOING ON.

AND WE DIDN'T
HAVE CONTROL.

SO...

MY SEPARATION FROM HIM WAS
JUST AS ABRUPT, IN A WAY,

AT THAT MOMENT,

AS HIS WAS FROM CAROLYN'S.

I WAS, UM,
OSTENSIBLY CONSCIOUS,

BUT I WAS NO LESS--

I WAS AS UNAWARE
AND, YOU KNOW,

UN-IN-CHARGE
AND HELPLESS AS SHE WAS.

IT...

IT WAS HEART--
IT WAS HEARTBREAKING...

UM...

SAYING GOOD-BYE.

Stephanie: PART OF ME
DID NOT WANT HIM TO
LEARN LANGUAGE.

HE WAS LESS
WITH LANGUAGE

THAN HE WAS
AS HIS UNIQUE SELF.

Herb: AT THAT TIME,
A VERY LUCKY THING HAPPENED.

I WAS AWARE THAT
THERE WAS AN ESTATE
THAT COLUMBIA OWNED

IN RIVERDALE,

A VERY LARGE ESTATE,

THAT USED TO BE THE HOME
OF THE PRESIDENT.

AND I WENT TO HIM
WITH A PROPOSITION

THAT IF HE ALLOWED ME
TO RAISE THE CHIMP THERE,

I'D PAY FOR THE HEAT.

AND HE SAID, "SURE."

Laura-Ann:
THIS WAS AMAZING.

THIS WAS A FAIRY TALE.

Herb: WE GOT--IT WAS
A 28-ACRE ESTATE,

SURROUNDED BY
LOVELY GARDENS,

AND THAT ALLOWED ME
TO PUT UP NIM'S TEACHERS

IN MAGNIFICENT SURROUNDINGS
AND NOT PAY ANY RENT.

LIFE WAS GOOD.

Laura-Ann:
NIM GOT OUT OF THE CAR,

RAN UP
TO THE FRONT DOOR,

ROLLED DOWN THE HILL,

AND HE WAS GONE.

HE WAS FREE.

SO THERE WAS NO REACTION

AT HAVING TAKEN HIM OUT
OF STEPHANIE'S HOUSE.

HE WAS FINE.

AND IT WAS LIKE
HE HAD BEEN THERE
HIS WHOLE LIFE.

Herb: HE CERTAINLY WAS
A DIFFERENT CHIMPANZEE

IN THIS MANSION
THAN HE WAS WITH STEPHANIE.

UM, SO, I SORT OF
GOT INTO MORE,

YOU KNOW,
INTERACTING WITH HIM.

Laura-Ann: HERB'S POWER
AS A PROFESSOR...

HIS AGE, COMPLETELY
IMPACTED ME.

HE WAS MY MODEL.

Herb: WE REALLY
CLICKED TOGETHER.

Laura-Ann:
I WANTED SO MUCH TO BE
A PART OF HIS WORLD.

I WANTED TO BE IN
THAT WORLD OF ACADEMIA.

Herb: I HAD
STRONG PERSONAL FEELINGS
ABOUT LAURA.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT,
IN ANY WAY,

GOT IN THE WAY
OF OUR SCIENCE.

Laura-Ann: SOME OF
THE--THE--THE DAILY
BODILY REQUIREMENTS

THAT NIM HAD
HAD TO BE ADDRESSED,
AND VERY QUICKLY.

I EVENTUALLY
COULDN'T HANDLE
THE DIAPERS ANYMORE.

HE WAS GETTING BIGGER,
AND HE WAS EATING
MORE OF OUR FOOD.

SO, PRAGMATICALLY,
I HAD TO GET HIM
OFF THOSE DIAPERS.

I HAD WATCHED
HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

WHEN HE NEEDED
THE POTTY,

AND I BEGAN TO SEE IT
AND GRAB HIM

AND BRING HIM
TO THE POTTY.

Herb: HE DID ACTUALLY
USE THE TOILET CORRECTLY,

BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY
NOT AS RELIABLE

AS WHAT YOU'D SEE
IN A CHILD.

Laura-Ann: THE IDEA WAS
THAT I WOULD LIVE WITH NIM

AND I WOULD TRAIN HIM
FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME

IN THE HOUSE,

BUT THEN I WOULD
BRING HIM IN EVERY DAY

TO COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

Bill Tynan:
THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENT
TO TEACH OR SEE

IF A CHIMPANZEE
CAN LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE.

I JUST THOUGHT
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING,

INTELLECTUALLY INTERESTING,

INTERESTING TO UNDERSTAND
HOW MUCH CHIMPANZEES
ARE LIKE US

AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE NOT.

AT THAT TIME,
HE WAS TERRIBLY CUTE

AND GETTING LITTLE PHOTOS
IN "NEW YORK MAGAZINE."

THERE WAS
A DAILY LESSON PLAN,
IF YOU WILL.

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TEACH
THESE PARTICULAR SIGNS,
UH, TO NIM,

AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED
TO ALSO TEACH HIM

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.

UH, DRESS YOURSELF,
UNDRESS YOURSELF.

THIS SORT OF THING.

Herb: LIKE CHILDREN,
AFTER THEY LEARN
A FEW WORDS,

UH, NIM HAS
SPONTANEOUSLY
PUT SIGNS TOGETHER.

IN MANY INSTANCES,
WE ALLOW,

UH, NIM TO USE
HIS OWN SIGNS

THAT HE ALMOST INVENTS,
SO LONG AS
THEY'RE CONSISTENT.

FOR EXAMPLE,
THIS IS THE SIGN
FOR "PLAY,"

UM, THAT HE INVENTED.

HE'S LEARNING SIGNS
RAPIDLY.

THEY'RE GOING
UP, UP, UP, UP, UP.

Herb: THE PROJECT WAS
LITERALLY HUMMING.

YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING
WAS GOING VERY SMOOTHLY.

I HAVE A CHIMPANZEE
WHO WAS MAKING HISTORY.

WE DID GET A GRANT
SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIME.

Laura-Ann: THE PROJECT
HAD BEGUN TO ENTER THE MEDIA,

SO THERE WAS
ALL THIS EXCITEMENT

AND HYPE
ABOUT THE PROJECT.

WE WERE THRILLED.

WE'VE PROBABLY ALL SEEN
PERFORMING CHIMPANZEES

ON TELEVISION
OR IN CIRCUSES,

BUT NIM
IS NO ORDINARY CHIMP.

SINCE HE WAS
A FEW WEEKS OLD,

NIM HAS LIVED
IN A CLOSE ASSOCIATION

WITH A GROUP
OF SCIENTISTS

UNDER THE DIRECTION
OF DR. HERBERT TERRACE

OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

THEY'RE PERFORMING
A UNIQUE EXPERIMENT

TO TRY TO DETERMINE
WHETHER APES CAN BE TAUGHT

TO COMMUNICATE WITH HUMANS
USING LANGUAGE.

HOW BIG WILL HE BE
WHEN HE'S FULL-GROWN?

OH, HE'S GOING
TO BE BIG.

HE'S GOING TO BE
ABOUT 5 FEET TALL,
PERHAPS 150 POUNDS.

AND SUPPOSEDLY
5 TO 6 TIMES
THE STRENGTH OF A MAN.

AND HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO BE ABLE TO
HANDLE HIM THEN?

Bill: HE HAD GROWN,
I GUESS HE WAS PROBABLY

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, AND HE, YOU KNOW,

IF YOU HAD TO HOLD HIM,
YOU REALLY HAD
TO HOLD HIM.

AND HE'D GONE FROM
BEING THIS MEEK
LITTLE HUGGABLE TOY

TO, UH, QUITE A ROBUST
YOUNG CHIMPANZEE.

HIS EYETEETH
WERE NEVER TAKEN OUT,

WHICH MEANS THAT HE'S
GOT FANGS, ESSENTIALLY,
SITTING HERE.

EXTREMELY STRONG JAW.

IF YOU DIDN'T
ASSERT DOMINANCE
IN SOME FASHION,

YOU WERE GOING TO BE
IN TROUBLE EVENTUALLY.

Herb: HE COULD SIZE
SOMEBODY UP IN 2 SECONDS,

UH, WHETHER
THEY WERE CONFIDENT

OR SECRETLY UNCONFIDENT.

Laura-Ann:
IF I STOOD UP TOO QUICKLY,

IF I ACCIDENTALLY
SHOWED HIM MY BACK
TOO QUICKLY,

UH, IF I HAD FOOD AND I
WOULDN'T--I DIDN'T THINK
TO SHARE IT WITH HIM--

HE'D CROSS THAT THRESHOLD
AND GO INTO ATTACK.

YOU COULD TELL THAT HE
WAS GETTING AN ATTITUDE.

THE HAIR WOULD GO UP
ON HIS ARMS,

AND HE'D SORT OF GET
THIS LOOK IN HIS FACE.

[BARKING]

Laura-Ann:
WHEN HE WOULD BARK,

I'D--I'D FEEL IT INSIDE,

THAT--THE DANGER.

HE HAD TO LUNGE,
THE CONTACT,

THE RIP, THE TEAR,
AND THE RELEASE.

AND HE HAD
TO DRAW BLOOD.

Herb: SHE DID NOT
TELL ME THAT IN
AN ALARMING MANNER.

SHE WAS
JUST REPORTING IT.

MAYBE I WAS JUST
TOO, UH,

LOOKING AHEAD
WITH BLINKERS AND NOT
WANTING TO HEAR THAT.

THIS IS 37 STITCHES.

UM, I HAD 4 HERE.
9 HERE.

THIS ONE SENT ME
INTO THE HOSPITAL.

THIS ONE, ACTUALLY, WAS
THE MOST DANGEROUS ONE

'CAUSE HE HIT A TENDON.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK

TO TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL
THAT'S NOT YOUR SPECIES

WHO HAS THAT KIND
OF ENERGY LEVEL.

I PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CHIMPANZEES AND MONKEYS,

SO I WAS AS BLIND
AND AS IGNORANT

AND AS NAIVE
AS PROBABLY THEY CAME.

I WAS ON
A QUICK LEARNING CURVE.

I HAVE HIGH ENERGY
AND ENTHUSIASM FOR A GOAL.

AND HE WAS MY GOAL,
APPARENTLY.

Laura-Ann:
JOYCE WAS A GREAT TEACHER.

SHE SIGNED.

SHE WAS COMPLETELY
DEDICATED AND MOTIVATED.

SHE WANTED TO DO THIS.

THIS WAS FANTASTIC!

Joyce Butler:
HE BIT ME REALLY HARD,
AND I BIT HIM ON THE EAR,

RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

AND I SAID "THAT'S OVER.
YOU WILL NEVER
BITE ME AGAIN."

AND HE NEVER DID.

HE DID LIKE A LOT
OF HUMAN BODY CONTACT.

TYPICALLY, WHEN WE WOULD
LEAVE THE PROPERTY,

HE WOULD BE REALLY
ATTACHED TO YOU.

THE WORLD WOULD SCARE HIM,
SO HE WOULD ALWAYS
COME CLOSE.

BILL AND I HUNG TIGHT
WITH NIM.

Bill: WE SORT OF
HIT IT OFF IN A LOT OF
OUR DIFFERENT THINKING.

SHE AND I GOT TOGETHER
AS A COUPLE.

[BILL LAUGHS]

Joyce: IT HELPED THAT
WE LIKED EACH OTHER.

AND I THINK THAT
THAT HELPED NIM'S LIFE,

BECAUSE WE ENJOYED
EACH OTHER'S COMPANY,

SO WE WOULD DO THINGS
TOGETHER,

AND WE WOULD HANG OUT
AS KIND OF A UNIT.

OH, HE LOVED THE CATS.

Bill: HE WAS REALLY,
REALLY TENDER WITH THE CAT,

AND HE'D HOLD IT
AND HE'D JUST LIKE
TO FEEL THE TOUCH.

SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

HE'D, LIKE--
WOULD HOLD HER
AND BE LIKE...

AND YOU COULD SEE HIM,
LIKE, SHAKING

BECAUSE HE'D BE
LIKE SO EXCITED
THAT HE HAD HER.

HE ACTUALLY, LIKE,
KIND OF PUSHED HER
DOWN ON THE GROUND,

AND THEN CURLED
AROUND HER

AND JUST, LIKE,
LAY THERE LIKE,
"I'M IN HEAVEN."

Bill: I WOULD SAY
THAT IT WAS FAIRLY CLEAR

THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING MORE GOING ON
THAN THE PROJECT,

AT LEAST FROM HIS SIDE.

AND I THINK
WE ALL FELT IT,
AND WE KIND OF HAD--

I DON'T WANT TO SAY
RESENTMENT,

BUT IT WAS LIKE,
"HUH, JEEZ,

WOULD HE SORT OF STOP
THIS LAURA THING?"

IF SOMEONE SHOWED ME
SOME ATTENTION,

I THOUGHT IT MEANT
THAT THEY CARED FOR ME.

HE HAD POWER.

I AM SURE THAT,
YOU KNOW, UNCONSCIOUSLY,
I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER.

UM, SOMEBODY ADMIRES YOU.

UM, WHY NOT?

SO, YEAH,
WE VERY BRIEFLY
GOT INVOLVED,

AND HE VERY, VERY BRIEFLY
AND ABRUPTLY GOT OUT OF IT.

THE ENTANGLEMENT
COMPLETELY AFFECTED
MY DECISION TO LEAVE.

IT'S THE HUMANS
I WANTED TO LEAVE,
NOT THE CHIMP.

HERB DIDN'T WANT IT
TO HAPPEN.

HE WENT INTO A VERY
ENTHUSIASTIC MODE

OF TRYING TO CONVINCE ME
NOT TO GO.

I WASN'T PANICKED.

I WASN'T PANICKED
THAT THE PROJECT

WAS JUST GOING TO
GRIND TO A HALT
BECAUSE LAURA LEFT.

AS I RECALL,
JOYCE AND BILL

PRETTY MUCH
TOOK CARE OF THAT.

SO, I DIDN'T LOSE
ANY CRUCIAL ASPECT
OF THE PROJECT.

I STARTED TO GO
TO GET THE BOXES TO LEAVE,

AND NIM PULLED LOOSE
FROM THE PERSON'S HAND,

HE CLIMBS TO
THE SECOND FLOOR
OF THE HOUSE.

THEN HE MUST HAVE LUNGED
25 FEET.

[NIM SCREECHES]

HE LANDED ON ME,

HE TOOK MY HEAD,

AND HE STARTED POUNDING IT
INTO THE PAVEMENT.

IT TOOK 4 MALES
TO GET HIM OFF ME.

HE WASN'T MY CHILD.

HE WASN'T MY BABY.

YOU CAN'T GIVE
HUMAN NURTURING

TO AN ANIMAL
THAT COULD KILL YOU.

Herb: ONE OF
THE EASY PARTS
OF THE PROJECT

WAS TO ADVERTISE
FOR TEACHERS.

I SAID,
"OH, THIS IS NICE."

[LAUGHS]

I DIDN'T SET OUT
TO HAVE WOMEN
ON THE PROJECT

PREDOMINANTLY,
BUT IT CERTAINLY
TURNED OUT THAT WAY.

AND, YOU KNOW,
IF THAT'S THE WAY
IT TURNED OUT,

THAT'S THE WAY
IT TURNED OUT.

I WAS A TRAINED
INTERPRETER FOR THE DEAF.

WHEN I SET MY MIND
TO SOMETHING,

I GET WHAT I WANT.

I KEPT SAYING,
I WANT TO LIVE HERE.

WHEN AM I MOVING IN?
WHEN DO I GET TO MOVE IN?

AND I WOULD ANNOY HERB,
AND FINALLY
HE LET ME MOVE IN.

Herb: PROBABLY
AS TIME WENT ON,

IT MAY BECOME
MORE DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN
TO WORK WITH HIM.

HE WAS GOING TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THEM,

AND HE WAS BIG ENOUGH
AND STRONG ENOUGH
THAT HE COULD.

I MEAN, IT HURT.
HIS BITES HURT.

YOU FELT--
WHEN HE BIT YOUR HAND,
HE GOT THE NERVE,

AND YOU'D GET
A RUNNING SHOCK
UP YOUR ARM.

WE HAD EPIC BATTLES.

BUT WE MADE UP.

HE'D MAKE THAT FACE
AND SIGN, "SORRY."

AND SO--"WELL,
IF I SIGN THIS,
SHE'LL FORGIVE ME."

I HAD A RELATIONSHIP
WITH A CHIMPANZEE,

AND I HAD CONVERSATIONS
WITH ANOTHER SPECIES.

Joyce: IT'S NOT
JUST HIM SIGNING THAT
WAS IMPORTANT TO ME,

IT WAS
WHAT HE WAS THINKING
AND EXPERIENCING,

BECAUSE WE WOULD TALK
WHEN WE WOULD HANG OUT.

YOU KNOW,
WE WOULD TALK ABOUT
THE THINGS WE WOULD SEE,

THE THINGS WE WOULD HEAR.

AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,

OUR CLASSROOM WAS
THE HOUSE AND THE YARD

AND THE FIELD TRIPS
THAT WE WOULD TAKE.

Herb: SCIENCE IS A VERY
OBJECTIVE ENTERPRISE.

YOU CAN'T HAVE
PERSONAL ANECDOTES

OF HOW I WORKED WITH NIM
UP AT DELAFIELD

AS OPPOSED TO
THE CLASSROOM.

THAT'S JUST
OF NO INTEREST
TO A SCIENTIST.

JOYCE DID NOT SEE
ANYTHING SPECIAL
ABOUT THE CLASSROOM.

HATED IT.
HATED IT. HATED IT.

HE HATED IT.
WE HATED IT.

THAT'S NOT SURPRISING,

BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T
GET THE RESULTS
IN THE CLASSROOM,

UH, THAT I WAS
HOPING FOR.

DICK, DO YOU KNOW
WHAT TIME IT IS?

Dick: YEAH.

Bill: GOING INTO
A DUNGEON OF A CLASSROOM,

WHICH IT REALLY WAS--
I MEAN, THE THING WAS
15 FEET SQUARE,

INCLUDING
THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

NO WINDOWS,
NO PLACE, REALLY,
TO HAVE ANY ACTIVITY.

TRYING TO GET
NIM'S ATTENTION WAS
A BIT OF A STRUGGLE.

AND HE WOULD HAVE RATHER
BEEN DOING SOMETHING ELSE.

PAY ATTENTION TO ME.

SHH.

SO THIS IS THE SIGN
FOR "DIRTY."

SO WE USED IT FOR TOILET,
FOR HIM,

BECAUSE
IT'S A CONTACT SIGN.

HE WOULD JUMP THROUGH
THE SIGNS

THAT I ASKED HIM
TO JUMP THROUGH,

AND THEN
HE WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH,

AND HE WOULD SAY,
"I NEED TO GO
TO THE BATHROOM."

WHAT?

AND THAT'S WHEN I KNEW,

YOU LITTLE BUGGER.
[CHUCKLES]

YOU USED THAT SIGN

BECAUSE YOU KNEW
IT WOULD MAKE US
LEAVE THERE

AND GET US
OUT OF THERE.

Bill: HE WAS GROWING
SMARTER AND SMARTER.

AND SMARTER IN THE SENSE
OF RECOGNIZING
SITUATIONS

THAT HE COULD TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF,

WHEN HE COULD GET
WHAT HE WANTED.

Renee Falitz:
HE WAS STARTING
TO DISCOVER HIMSELF.

THERE WAS A BIG ROCK
IN THE FRONT YARD

AND HE USED TO LIKE
TO HUMP IT.

[LAUGHS] AND I'D SAY,
YOU'RE GOING
TO HURT YOURSELF.

THAT'S A ROCK!

LIKE, LOOK AT HIMSELF
AND GO, "WHAT'S THAT?"

AS THIS WHOLE THING WITH
THE PHYSICALITY BECAME,

UM, YOU KNOW,
AN ISSUE,

WE WERE MUCH MORE
CAUTIOUS, I THINK,

ABOUT LETTING
THE CATS AROUND--
AROUND HIM,

LETTING HIM PLAY WITH--
PLAY WITH THE CATS.

Joyce: HE WOULD
EVEN TRY TO--

NOT ENGAGE DIRECTLY
IN SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
WITH THE ANIMALS,

BUT DEFINITELY
TO BRING THEM TO HIM

AND TO HIS PENIS AREA.

AND I JUST SAID,
"NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT
THEY'RE THERE FOR."

LET GO.

Bill: WE REALIZED--
I THINK ALL OF US DID--

IT WAS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT

TO PURSUE
THE EXPERIMENT.

Joyce:
NIM WAS SCRATCHING HARD,
HE WAS BITING HARDER,

BITING MORE OFTEN,
BITING MORE PEOPLE.

Bill: WE HAD MENTIONED
THE GROWING CONCERN

THAT WE HAD
AND ABOUT HOW TO,
YOU KNOW,

SORT OF HOW
TO DEAL WITH NIM.

[NIM SCREECHES]

HE DOESN'T WANT TO
JUMP INTO MY ARMS.

DR. TERRACE WAS
PRETTY MUCH
AN ABSENTEE LANDLORD.

Joyce: HERB WAS NEVER
ALONE WITH NIM,

AND HERB NEVER HAD
TO SPEND ANY KIND
OF TIME WITH HIM.

[NIM CHIRPS]

ONCE IN A WHILE,
YOU KNOW, PHOTO SHOOTS,

FOR HIM TO
EITHER TAKE PHOTOS

OR FOR HIM TO HAVE
PHOTOS TAKEN OF HIM.

Herb: YES, THERE WERE
OCCASIONAL BITES.

I IMAGINE THEY INCREASED
IN FREQUENCY

JUST BECAUSE
NIM WAS GETTING OLDER.

IN THAT SENSE,
HE WAS BECOMING
MORE CHIMP-LIKE.

BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM
TO BE A CAUSE FOR ALARM,
AT THAT POINT.

Renee:
IT WAS THE END OF JULY.

IT WAS JULY 28th.

AND BILL HAD HIM,

AND WE DID
THE BODY-TO-BODY TRANSFER.

I MEAN YOU'RE--
YOU'RE HOLDING--
YOU'RE HOLDING NIM,

AND THE OTHER PERSON
COMES UP,

AND YOU JUST KIND
OF HAND THE CHIMP

TO THE OTHER PERSON.

AND I SAID, "COME ON,"
AND I GOT THE TETHER,

YOU KNOW, WE--
YOU GOT THE LOOP FIRST,

AND I THEN TIED IT
TO MY BELT.

"COME HERE."

AND HE CAME OVER,
AND HE PUT HIS ARMS
AROUND ME. "AAH."

HE JUST CRUNCHED MY FACE.

IT JUST HAPPENED.

[CHIMP SCREECHING]

AND I GRABBED NIM
AND JUST DRAGGED HIM
INTO THE HOUSE,

AND HE WAS LIKE, OHH!
"SORRY, SORRY, SORRY."
AND I'M, "NO, NO, NO."

AND I PASSED THAT ARMOIRE
WITH THAT MIRROR

AND SAW ALL THIS BLOOD.

HE'D BIT THROUGH MY CHEEK,

ALMOST TO
THE INSIDE OF MY MOUTH.

IT WAS FOLDED OVER
SO YOU COULD SEE
INSIDE MY FACE.

I DON'T RECALL
IF SHE WENT TO
THE EMERGENCY ROOM,

BUT I THINK THAT
SOMETHING LIKE THAT
HAPPENED.

MM.

IT WAS JUST--
IT WAS JUST BAD.

I WAS PROBABLY WORRIED
THAT SHE WOULD SUE ME,

UM, OR THIS WOULD BECOME
A PUBLIC--

THIS WOULD BECOME
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT

HOW...LIFE-THREATENING
THE PROJECT MIGHT BE.

THEY COULDN'T SEW IT
BECAUSE OF THE INFECTION
AND RISK OF INFECTION,

SO I HAD
AN OPEN, GAPING WOUND
ON MY FACE FOR 3 MONTHS.

AND WHEN I GOT
OUT OF THE HOSPITAL,

I SAID, YOU KNOW,
I--I WANT TO SEE NIM.

HE WENT, "OOH,"
AND HE WENT TO REACH
FOR MY FACE AGAIN.

I WENT,
"WHOA, THAT'S IT.

I DON'T NEED CLOSURE NOW.
I'M OUT OF HERE."

I WAS SCARED.

I'M TENACIOUS,
AND I DIDN'T WANT
TO LET GO.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE
BREAKING UP WITH
A BAD BOYFRIEND.

Herb: I WAS SORRY
THAT IT CAME TO THAT,

BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW
HOW NIM IS GOING
TO CHANGE,

AND YOU JUST CAN'T COUNT
ON HAVING

OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
ALL THE TIME.

I FELT I WAS SPREADING
MYSELF TOO THINLY

AND EXPERIENCING
TOO MUCH STRESS

AND NOT ENOUGH,
YOU KNOW, GOOD RESULTS.

NOBODY KEEPS A CHIMP
FOR MORE THAN 5 YEARS,

BECAUSE AT 5 YEARS,
THEY DON'T KNOW
THEIR OWN STRENGTH

AND THEY CAN DO
A LOT OF DAMAGE
TO PEOPLE.

HE CALLED US TOGETHER

AND DROPPED THE BOMB
AND SAID, "IT'S OVER."

I WAS ONE VERY ANGRY
YOUNG WOMAN.

YOU DON'T SAY,
"WE'RE NOT DOING THIS
ANYMORE,"

AND BECAUSE HERB HAD
THAT CARD TO PLAY,

HE PLAYED IT,
'CAUSE HE WAS IN
THE POWER SEAT.

Herb:
I THINK I SAID,

THERE'S NO POINT
OF THIS GOING ON
SCIENTIFICALLY.

I FELT THAT NIM
HAD PROGRESSED A LOT,

AND WE HADN'T HAD
A CHANCE TO REALLY
ANALYZE OUR DATA.

I JUST KNEW THAT
WE HAD REAMS OF DATA.

Bill:
THIS WHOLE MASS OF DATA

THAT NEEDED
TO BE ORGANIZED,

AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE
A LONG AND TEDIOUS PROCESS.

Herb: THE FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTION WAS,

"CAN A CHIMPANZEE
CREATE A SENTENCE?"

I DON'T THINK
I HAD ANY DEFINITIVE
CONCLUSION TO THAT.

WE HAD TO WAIT AND SEE.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE,
YOU KNOW,

YOU GET--
YOU'RE ALMOST THERE

AND YOU FEEL LIKE
THERE'S GOING TO BE
A CONCLUSION,

AND, UM, IT'S LIKE,

OK. [CLICKS TONGUE]
IT'S OVER.

Herb: I THOUGHT THAT
THE SURROUNDINGS
IN WHICH HE WAS BORN

WOULD PROVIDE
THE MOST PSYCHOLOGICAL
SUPPORT FOR NIM.

I FELT THE BASIC NEEDS
WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]
[CHIMPS CHATTERING]

SO ONCE I GOT BILL LEMMON
TO AGREE TO TAKE HIM BACK,

THAT WAS IT.

[RING]

Joyce:
I HOPE HE'LL BE OK.

THAT'S WHY I WANT
TO GO WITH HIM.

I HOPE THAT
I'LL BE ABLE

TO INTRODUCE HIM
TO HIS NEW LIFE

BUT STILL HAVE
AN OLD PART OF HIS LIFE
WITH HIM--NAMELY ME.

THEN HE CAN GET USED TO IT,
AND I CAN FADE OUT,

AND HE'LL BE FINE.

IT WON'T JUST BE
AN ABRUPT BREAK
BETWEEN OLD AND NEW.

Bill: AND WE GET NIM UP
EARLY ONE MORNING.

HE GETS A SHOT,
AND HE'S OUT.

[THUNDER]
[RAINING]

Herb:
I CHARTERED A PLANE
AND HIRED A PILOT.

Herb: NIM WAS GIVEN
TRANQUILIZERS

TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY
OF HIS GETTING OUT OF HAND.

IF HE WAS TRANQUILIZED,
HE'D BE EASIER TO CONTROL

AND NOT DO ANY DAMAGE
TO THE PLANE, WHICH COULD
BE QUITE DANGEROUS.

SO THAT'S HOW
WE'D GET HIM TO OKLAHOMA.

IT WAS JUST
A NASTY THING TO DO.

VERY DECEITFUL,
I THINK.

Herb: THE QUESTION IS,
WHAT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN IN OKLAHOMA?

AND I DIDN'T HAVE
ANY SENSE OF THAT,
SO THAT WAS MY CONCERN.

Joyce:
"HOLY SHIT--"
[CHUCKLES]

WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT.

[CHIMPS CHATTERING
AND SCREECHING]

AND I THINK
HIS REACTION WAS,

"HOLY SHIT," TOO.

LIKE HE KNEW WE WERE--
HE KNEW IT WAS BAD.

AND HE'D NEVER SEEN
A CHIMP BEFORE.

AND HE WAS HOLDING ON
TIGHT.

[CHIMP SCREECHING]

YOU LOOK AROUND,
YOU SEE CAGES,

AND YOU HEAR
THE SOUNDS OF--OF
A LOT OF CHIMPANZEES.

WOULD I HAVE
ENVISIONED THIS

WHEN I STARTED
ON THIS PROJECT,

THAT HE EVER WOULD
END UP THERE? NO.

[PANTING AND GRUNTING]

IT TURNED OUT TO BE
A SURPRISINGLY
MORE PRIMITIVE FACILITY

THAN I REMEMBERED.

'CAUSE OUR CAGES
WERE CAGES.

THEY WEREN'T JUST A ROOM
WITH A LOCKED DOOR.

THEY WERE CAGES.

I MEAN, IT LOOKED
LIKE A PRISON--

A REALLY STARK, UGLY,
DARK, DANK PRISON.

THEY HAD A CHAIN AROUND
THEIR NECK WITH A LOCK.

SHOULD YOU GET
INTO A BAD FIGHT,

YOU COULD GRAB THE CHAIN
AND KEEP THEM OFF OF YOU.

IT WAS LIKE
PRISON BEHAVIOR.

WE HAD TO PUT UP
AN ELECTRIC FENCE
AROUND THE ISLAND

'CAUSE WE HAD HAD
SEVERAL MURDERS

AND 2 SUICIDES.

THEY'D JUST PUSH THEM
OUT INTO THE WATER.

CHIMPS CAN'T SWIM.

Joyce: DR. LEMMON
RAN THE PLACE.

I HAD AN IMMEDIATE
HORRIBLE REACTION.

HE WALKED AROUND
WITH A CATTLE PROD.

I REMEMBER TRYING
TO PUSH NIM AWAY--
[CHUCKLES]

BECAUSE I KNEW
WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO.

AND NIM WAS SCREAMING
AND HOLDING ON TO
ME VERY TIGHTLY.

AND THE ONLY REASON
HE LET GO

IS BECAUSE
HE GOT ZAPPED WITH
THE ELECTRIC PROD.

[CHIMP
SCREECHING]

OK. IT'S OK,
IT'S OK.

Bill:
COME HERE A MINUTE.
MAC, COME HERE.

MAC, COME HERE.
COME HERE.
PSST. COME HERE.

THE REASONING BEHIND
THE WHOLE MAC-NIM
INTERACTION

WAS THAT MAC WAS
NOT DANGEROUS.

Alyce: HE WAS SMALL,

SO HE WAS NOT
AN AGGRESSIVE,
DOMINANT CHIMP.

SO HE WAS
THE PERFECT ONE FOR
NIM TO START WITH.

Bill, whispering;
Hey, do you want
a tickle?

[GRUNTING]

LOOK AT THAT.

[INDISTINCT]

SIT DOWN, MAC.
SIT DOWN.

[CHATTERS]

OH, NO. HEY, MAC.
UH-UH. BAH.

Interviewer: HOW DID YOU
EXPECT NIM TO REACT

TO HIS FIRST MEETING
WITH ANOTHER CHIMP?

Herb: I THINK
WHAT HAPPENED WAS

THAT NIM WAS
VERY APPREHENSIVE
ABOUT MAC,

AND HE TOOK HIS TIME,
AND THEN,

WHEN HE WAS READY,
YOU KNOW, HE AND MAC
GOT IT OFF.

I FEEL VERY GOOD
ABOUT THIS

BECAUSE I CAN LEAVE NOW
KNOWING THAT, UM,

NIM HAS A FRIEND,

AND HE'S GOING
TO WORRY LESS ABOUT
HIS HUMAN COMPANIONS

AND HAVE, YOU KNOW,
AT LEAST ONE OTHER CHIMP
TO TURN TO.

[INSECTS BUZZING]

[CHIMPS CALLING]

Bill:
IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE,

AND THAT'S WHEN I TOOK NIM
AND PUT HIM IN THE CAGE.

SURE, I DIDN'T WANT
JOYCE DOING IT,

SO I JUST SAID, WELL,
I BETTER GO DO IT.

I DIDN'T WANT TERRACE
DOING IT.

UM, SO I JUST DECIDED
I WAS GOING TO DO IT.

[GRUNTS]
[METAL CLATTERS]

[RATTLES]

YOU KNOW,
WE COAXED HIM DOWN THERE,

AND THEN--[SNIFFLES]
BECAUSE HE TRUSTED US.

I JUST LET HIM IN THERE
AND TOOK THE LEAD

AND TIED IT AROUND
THE FAR END OF THE CAGE

AND SAID GOOD-BYE
AND WALKED OUT

AND SHUT THE DOOR.

[CHIMPS HOOTING]

[DOOR RATTLES]

[CREAKING]
[RATTLES]

HE WAS SORT OF HOOTING
AND TRYING TO COME
AFTER ME,

UM, 'CAUSE
HE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
WHERE HE WAS,

BUT, UM, I JUST--
I JUST WALKED AWAY.

AND THEN
WHEN HE WASN'T LOOKING,

HE RAN...
OUT THE DOOR.

I DID FEEL BADLY.

UM, I FELT,
IN A CERTAIN BASIC SENSE,

THAT WAS NOT
THE RIGHT THING TO DO

TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW,
WHO HAD BEEN PART OF MY LIFE
FOR SO MANY YEARS,

AND THAT I WAS
DEFINITELY DOING SOMETHING

THAT HE SOMEHOW WOULD FEEL
WAS UNJUST OR WRONG.

HE HAD A LITTLE DOLL
OR SOMETHING THAT
I THINK I LEFT.

I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT
WE MADE A COMMITMENT
TO HIM AND WE FAILED.

WE DID A HUGE DISSERVICE
TO THAT SOUL,

AND SHAME ON US.

[METAL CLANGS]

[CHIMPS HOOTING]

Bob Ingersoll:
ASSUMED, I GUESS WRONGLY,

THAT NIM WAS GOING
TO COME BACK

AND HE WAS GOING
TO BE CELEBRATED

IN THE SENSE THAT
HE WAS GOING TO BE
THE GREAT SIGNING CHIMP.

NO, EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.

EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.

NIM IN THE CAGE.

NO SPECIAL TREATMENT,
NO YOGURT, NO GRANOLA,

NO--NONE OF THAT.

IT WAS PRETTY TRAUMATIC
FOR THE CHIMP.

[METAL DOOR SHUTS]

THEY CURL UP
AND LAY DOWN.

THEY LOSE INTEREST
IN FOOD.

THEY JUST...

IT WAS A BAD START
WITH NIM AND I.

THE CHIMP IS VERY UPSET.

AND HE JUST LOOKS AT ME
AND HE JUMPS AND LUNGES
AT ME

AND BITES
THROUGH AN ARTERY,
RIGHT IN HERE.

I DID USE
A SMALL SHOCK STICK.

[CHIMP SCREECHES]

HE HAD TO GROW UP
AND NOT BE

A SINGLE SPOILED CHILD
ANYMORE.

SO YOU GOT TO SOCIALIZE,

WORK ON HIS CHIMPANZEE

AND MANNERS.

[SCREECHING
AND CHATTERING]

EVERYBODY NEEDS A JOB,

MEANING AND PURPOSE.

I HAD THEM OUT.
THEY WOULD HELP ME
IN THE BIG KITCHEN

WHERE WE PREPPED
OUR FOOD AND DID STUFF.

THEY'D SWEEP.

NIM WAS A COMPULSIVE
HAND-WASHER.

HE'D DO DISHES.

VANESSA LIKED TO DUST.

LITTLE MAC LIKED
TO CLEAN CAGES
AND WEAR MY BOOTS.

[CHATTERING]

THIS WAS A SPECIAL GROUP
OF CHIMPS.

YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T
ORDINARY CHIMPS.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAD
THE CAPACITY FOR
HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS.

[SCREECHING
AND GRUNTING]

Alyce:
TERRACE CAME BACK
A YEAR LATER.

Bob:
HERB ARRIVED, AND--

WITH STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS
AND CAMERAS

AND THAT SORT OF THING.

IT WAS A SHOOT,
AND IT WAS ARRANGED
AS SUCH.

THERE WAS NO QUESTION
THAT HE WAS VERY HAPPY

THAT HE COULD
SEE ME AGAIN.

THERE WAS NO ANGER
THAT "WHY DID YOU
LEAVE ME HERE?"

IT WAS JUST "HEY,
THAT'S GREAT, I'M GOING
TO SEE HIM AGAIN."

Bob: YOU COULD SEE
THAT HE WAS LIKE,

"HOLY SHIT,
I'M GOING BACK
TO NEW YORK!"

IT WAS LIKE THAT,

LIKE HE WAS GOING
TO BE RESCUED.

AND IT WAS--

IT WAS KIND OF SAD.

Herb:
I PLAYED WITH HIM.

WE GOT INTO GAMES
OF SIGNING.

I REMEMBER I GOT HIM
TO SIGN "HUG."

I GOT HIM
TO SIGN "HERB."

IN FACT,
I CAN GET ALMOST
ANY SIGN OUT OF HIM.

I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO
THROUGH A DRILL.

SO IT WAS
A VERY ENTERTAINING,
COMFORTABLE AFTERNOON.

NO BAD BEHAVIOR
OF ANY KIND.

Alyce:
AT THE END OF THE DAY,
LOOKS AT HIS WATCH,

GIVES ME NIM BACK,
AND FLIES OFF...

AND IS GONE.

NEXT MORNING,
HE BARELY ATE.

HE JUST STARTED
TO CRATER.

Bob:
HERB NEVER CAME BACK.

[CHIMPS SCREECH]

I THOUGHT,
I'M GOING TO BECOME
NIM'S FRIEND.

AND I'M GOING
TO HANG WITH NIM,

AND WE'LL SEE
WHAT HAPPENS.

[CLATTER]

I MEAN, THERE WASN'T
MUCH I COULD DO FOR HIM

IN TERMS OF THE CAGE
BUT GET HIM OUT.

[INSECTS BUZZ]

OH, YOU SAW THAT, HUH?

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

SIT DOWN.
SEE YOU LATER, NIM.

WE JUST LIKED EACH OTHER
RIGHT OFF,

AND SOMETIMES,
IT'S LIKE THAT.

CHIMPS AREN'T HUMANS.

YOU HAVE TO KIND
OF UNDERSTAND CHIMPS

TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
HOW TO WORK WITH THEM
AND BE WITH THEM.

I TOOK HIM OUT ON WALKS.
I DIDN'T BRING FOOD.

AND I DIDN'T DO
THE KIND OF THINGS THAT--

THAT WOULD INTERRUPT
THE RELATIONSHIP

OR THE BUILDING
OF THE RELATIONSHIP.

HE, YOU KNOW--
HE GROWS ON YOU QUICK.

HE'S--WAS SO CHARMING.

I MEAN IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME
THAT ANIMALS HAD

THAT KIND OF PERSONALITY
LIKE OURS.

Alyce: AND YOU HAD
TO BE TRUE OF HEART.

YOU HAD TO BE
TRUE OF HEART.

IF YOU HAD
DARK PLACES IN YOU,

THEY'D KNOW IT
AND THEY WOULDN'T
LIKE YOU.

GOOD MORNING.
WITH US THIS MORNING
IS DR. HERBERT TERRACE,

A PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS,
DR. TERRACE WAS IN CHARGE
OF AN EXPERIMENT

WHERE HE
AND SEVERAL OTHER
HUMAN BEINGS

TRIED TO TEACH
A CHIMPANZEE NAMED NIM

THE SIGN LANGUAGE
OF THE DEAF.

BUT NOW
IN A BOOK JUST PUBLISHED,
WHICH IS CALLED "NIM,"

YOU'RE SAYING,
DR. TERRACE,

THAT THESE EXPERIMENTS
DON'T PROVE AS MUCH

AS YOU HAD ORIGINALLY
THOUGHT THEY DID?

I CHANGED MY MIND
ABOUT THE DATA.

I SUDDENLY SAW WHAT
THE KEY TO THIS WAS.

NIM WAS
A BRILLIANT BEGGAR.

HE LEARNED HOW TO BEG.

AND HE COULD
WORK HIS TEACHERS

AND ALWAYS GET
WHAT HE WANTED

BY MOVING HIS HANDS
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND MOST OF THE TIME,
HE MOVED HIS HANDS
IN THE WAYS

THAT THE TEACHER
SUGGESTED,

AND THE MOTIVE OF
SIGNING WAS NOT TO SAY,

"WHAT A NICE CAT
YOU HAVE OVER THERE,"

BUT "I WANT IT."

WHEN THE EXPERIMENTS
WERE OVER,

YOU RETURNED NIM
TO THE PRIMATE COLONY
WHERE HE WAS BORN.

AND A YEAR AFTER THAT,
YOU WENT BACK FOR A VISIT,

AND WE CAME ALONG
WITH A CAMERA.

YOU AND HE ARE TALKING
IN SIGN LANGUAGE HERE,
RIGHT?

RIGHT.

AND HERE WE HAVE IT
IN SLOW MOTION.

WHAT'S NIM SAYING?

HE'S SAYING,
"GIVE NIM BANANA."

WHY IS IT
THAT YOU'RE SAYING

THAT HE CAN'T SPEAK
LIKE A HUMAN BEING?

WELL, A STRING OF SIGNS
IS NOT NECESSARILY
A SENTENCE.

UH, YOU CAN LEARN
A LIST OF WORDS BY ROTE,

AND THAT SAYS NOTHING
ABOUT YOUR ABILITY
TO USE GRAMMAR.

AREN'T YOU
VERY DISAPPOINTED

THAT YOU SPENT
ALL THIS TIME
AND ALL THIS MONEY?

WELL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
VERY ELECTRIFYING NEWS,

ALMOST LIKE
COMMUNICATING

WITH A CREATURE
FROM OUTER SPACE,

IF I COULD SHOW
THAT ANOTHER ORGANISM

COULD USE LANGUAGE
THE WAY HUMANS HAVE.

BUT IT DIDN'T WORK?
IT DIDN'T WORK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
DR. TERRACE.

Woman: I HOPE SOMEBODY
CAN STILL TALK TO NIM,
IN ANY EVENT.

Bob: I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT
THE LANGUAGE ARGUMENT
AFTER A WHILE.

IT DIDN'T MATTER TO ME.

HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD
SENTENCES OR GRAMMAR,

BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION
THAT THERE WAS
COMMUNICATION GOING ON.

AND I SAW IT CLEARLY.

HE TALKED ABOUT THE TREES,
THE BERRIES THAT HE FOUND.

HE LIKED TO PLAY.

FAVORITE SIGN, "PLAY."

HEY.
[GRUNTING]

OH. [LAUGHING]

OH, HE CERTAINLY
DOESN'T KNOW
WHICH ONE TO GRAB.

[LAUGHTER]

HE KNEW WHAT POT WAS,
OR HASH, OR WHATEVER.

[CHUCKLES] AND HE WANTED
TO SMOKE A JOINT.

YEAH. I'M GOING
TO ERASE IT.

STONE.

SMOKE.

NOW.

WHEN WE WENT OUT ON WALKS
WITH NIM, NIM WAS ONE OF US.

AND IF WE SMOKED A JOINT,
HE SMOKED IT WITH US.

IN THE CIRCLE,
WE HANDED IT TO HIM.

CHIMPS ARE LIKE US.
THEY'RE HEDONISTIC.

THEY LIKE TO DO
PLEASURABLE THINGS.

THEY LIKE TO,
YOU KNOW--

THEY LIKE TO HAVE FUN,
AND, I MEAN, HELL,
WHO DOESN'T?

Alyce:
AND THERE'S SOMETHING
IN MARIJUANA THAT...

THEY WEREN'T AGGRESSIVE.

YOU TALK LESS.

YOU DO DIFFERENT THINGS.

YOU ENJOY EACH OTHER.

Bob: LILY AND NIM

LIVED TOGETHER
IN THE PIG BARN.

Alyce: BOTH OF THEM
DIDN'T HAVE MANY
CHIMP FRIENDS.

AND THEN
THEY BECAME FRIENDS.

[CHIMPS CHATTERING
AND GRUNTING]

THEY WERE SEEN
COPULATING.

AND WE THINK
NIM MIGHT HAVE BEEN

THE FATHER
OF LILY'S BABY.

I HAD THE BEST TIME
OF MY LIFE.
I STILL SAY THAT.

I'VE NEVER HAD
SUCH A GOOD TIME,

EXCEPT MAYBE
AT A GRATEFUL DEAD SHOW.

[CHUCKLES]
PRETTY CLOSE.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHICH ONE I--

ACTUALLY,
BEING WITH NIM--

I'D RATHER BE WITH NIM
THAN JERRY,

AND THAT'S--FOR ME,
THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING.

THAT'S REAL--
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THAT'S A BANANA?
[SQUEAKS]

YOU WANT TO EAT
THE SHOE?
GO FOR IT.

[CHUCKLES]

THAT'S A SHOE,
THIS IS A BERRY.

AND THAT'S WHEN
MAHONEY STARTED SHOWING UP.

HE WAS STANDING AROUND
LOOKING AT CHIMPS

AND WRITING IN HIS PAD
AND WHATEVER,

AND WHEN SOMEONE--

WHEN I FOUND OUT
WHO HE WAS--

AND I'M SURE
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG
FOR ME TO FIGURE IT OUT,

I WAS--OOH.

OBVIOUSLY,
HE WAS CHECKING OUT
THE CHIMPS FOR THE LAB.

LEMSIP IS BEST KNOWN
BY ITS ACRONYM,

L-E-M-S-I-P,
WHICH IS

"LABORATORY FOR
EXPERIMENTAL
MEDICINE

AND SURGERY
IN PRIMATES."

HE REPRESENTED
THE DEVIL TO ME.

MOST OF THE WORK
THAT WE DID WITH
THE CHIMPANZEES,

FOR EXAMPLE,
WAS, UM,

TESTING VARIOUS
CANDIDATE VACCINES

FOR, LIKE,
HEPATITIS B,

HEPATITIS C,
HIV, AIDS.

I THINK
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT

TO FUND
THE KINDS OF RESEARCH

THAT I HAPPEN TO BE
VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN.

IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT
TO FUND SOCIAL RESEARCH
IN GENERAL.

Dr. James Mahoney:
WE HEARD ABOUT
DR. LEMMON'S PROBLEMS,

WHICH WERE FINANCIAL.

IT WAS FINALLY ARRANGED
THAT, YES,

WE WOULD TAKE
A VERY LARGE PART
OF THEIR COLONY.

I THOUGHT LEMMON
WAS TRYING TO SCARE
THE UNIVERSITY.

I THOUGHT THEY WOULD--

THEY WOULD GO, "OH, GOSH,
YOU CAN'T SELL THEM
TO A MEDICAL LAB.

WE'VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING."

I THOUGHT THE COMMUNITY
WOULD RISE ITSELF UP.

BOB AND I TRIED SO HARD
WITH PUBLIC APPEAL

FOR SOMETHING
FOR THE CHIMPS,

AND THERE WAS
NO RESPONSE.

AND THEN
SHORTLY AFTER THAT,

THE CHIMPS WERE
INDEED SOLD.

[CHIMPS SCREECHING]

Interviewer: OF THE CHIMPS
THAT ARE BEING SENT OFF

TO THE LAB TODAY,

HOW MANY OF THEM
WERE SUBJECTS OF
THE SIGNING RESEARCH?

ONLY ONE WAS RESTRICTED
TO SIGNING RESEARCH.

THIS IS NIM.

[METAL CLANGS]

James: AS A CHIMP,
YOU'VE GOT NO WAY OF KNOWING

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU.

YOU'RE JUST SUDDENLY
CUT OFF FROM SEEING
EVERYTHING OUTSIDE.

SUDDENLY,
AFTER A DAY AND A HALF
OF CONSTANT DRIVING,

YOU GET OUT THE OTHER END
AND YOU'RE IN ANOTHER
SORT OF ROOM.

[WIND HOWLS]

[CHIMPS GRUNTING
AND SCREECHING]

James: I WOULDN'T SAY
THEY WERE JUMPING WITH JOY

TO FIND THEMSELVES
IN A NEW PLACE.

[GRUNTING CONTINUES]

COME ON.
COME HERE.

COME ON.
ONE MORE TIME.

ONE MORE TIME.
COME HERE.

[SCREECHING]

COME HERE.

DON'T--
IT'S ALL RIGHT.
IT'S OVER.

[SCREECHES]
IT'S ALL OVER.

IT'S ALL OVER.

I TOOK ON THE ROLE
OF BEING THE ONE

WHO CHOSE
WHICH ANIMALS WOULD GO

INTO WHICH TYPES
OF STUDY.

AND I HATED IT.

SPIKE. SPIKE.

COME OVER HERE,
SPIKE.

SPIKE,
COME ON OVER HERE.

COME ON.
[CHATTERS]

[INDISTINCT]

YOU WANT TO GO AWAY
WITH SPIKE? [INDISTINCT]

THESE ANIMALS WILL
BE USED ON HEPATITIS
VACCINE SAFETY TESTS.

IT IS A FEDERAL LAW
THAT BEFORE A BA--

A NEW BATCH OF VACCINE
CAN BE RELEASED ON
THE AMERICAN MARKET,

IT MUST BE TESTED
IN 4 CHIMPANZEES.

THERE'S NO WAY--
IN ALL HONESTY,

THERE'S NO WAY
YOU CAN CARRY OUT
RESEARCH ON ANIMALS

AND FOR IT
TO BE HUMANE.

IT CAN'T BE HUMANE
BECAUSE YOU ALREADY
PUT THEM IN A CAGE.

THAT WAS ALREADY
THE FIRST STEP,

AND FROM THERE ON,
IT'S DOWNHILL.

[SCREECHING]

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

James:
WE REALIZED THAT CERTAIN
OF THE OKLAHOMA CHIMPS

COULD USE SIGN LANGUAGE

AND WERE TRYING
TO SIGN WITH US.

WHAT WE DID WAS,
WE WROTE DOWN
ON SHEETS OF PAPER,

WHICH WE POSTED
ALL OVER THE PLACE--

ON DOORS AND WALLS
AND EVERYWHERE
WE COULD FIND--

OF CERTAIN SIGNS,

AND IT WAS HOPED THAT,
AS TIME WENT BY,

EVERYONE WOULD PICK UP

AT LEAST A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF SIGN LANGUAGE.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

I DIDN'T SEE...

NIM AS SPECIAL ABOVE
ANYONE ELSE IN THE GROUP,

BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL GOING
THROUGH THE SAME THING.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

Bob: I MADE A BIG,
BIG STINK ABOUT IT,

IN EVERY WAY I COULD.

I CALLED THE PRESS.

WE BITCHED
AS MUCH AS WE COULD.

James: THE STUDENT
BOB INGERSOLL,

HE USED TO HOUND ME
EVERY CHANCE HE GOT.

AND I WOULD START
TO GET REALLY ANNOYED,

AND THEN
IT DAWNED ON ME

THAT HE WAS
THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED.

NOBODY,

NOBODY, EXCEPT THE PRESS,
HELPED US.

IS THERE
ANYTHING THAT YOU
WOULD CONSIDER DOING

TO PREVENT
WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN TO HIM?

UNFORTUNATELY,
THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO

BECAUSE, LEGALLY,
NIM IS NOT MINE.

NIM WAS LOANED TO ME FOR
THE DURATION OF MY PROJECT.

THAT PROJECT
RAN OUT OF FUNDS--

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

[RING]

SOMEBODY AT
THE "BOSTON GLOBE" TOLD ME

TO READ A FRONT PAGE STORY
ON THAT DAY.

AND HE SAID,
"I THINK YOU'D BE
INTERESTED,

AND I KNOW YOU TAKE
UNUSUAL CASES."

AS A HUMAN BEING,
I THOUGHT IT WAS

A KIND OF ESOTERIC,
UNIQUE FORM
OF ANIMAL CRUELTY--

ALL THE WORSE FOR THAT--
AND AS A LAWYER,

I THOUGHT IT WAS
JUST PLAIN ILLEGAL

IF THE FACTS ARE
AS I'M BEING TOLD,

THAT THIS YOUNG CHIMP WAS
BROUGHT UP FROM INFANCY
IN A HUMAN FAMILY.

YOU CAN'T STICK HIM
INTO A LITTLE CAGE

IN SOME HORRIBLE
MEDICAL LAB

AND USE HIM
FOR MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS.

IT'S PER SE
ANIMAL CRUELTY.

[CHIMP CHATTERING]

EARLY ON I DECIDED THIS--

IF THIS ANIMAL HAS BEEN
DELIBERATELY BROUGHT UP

FROM INFANTHOOD
TO THINK OF HIMSELF
AS HUMAN,

THEN IF I'M GOING
TO REPRESENT HIM,

I HAVE TO TREAT HIM
LIKE A HUMAN CLIENT,

GIVE HIM
HIS DAY IN COURT.

Bob: HENRY AND I--
THAT'S MR. HERRMANN--

WERE IN COMMUNICATION
PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.

HE USED A REALLY COOL
STRATEGY, ACTUALLY.

HE SAID, "HEY,
THIS CHIMP CAN SPEAK
FOR HIMSELF.

LET'S BRING HIM INTO COURT
AND LET HIM TALK."

WHAT I HAD READY
AS A TRIAL EXHIBIT

WAS A STEEL CAGE AND
A COUPLE OF STRONG GUYS

WITH A POLE READY
TO CARRY IT INTO COURT,

AND I WAS GOING TO GET
NIM TO GO INTO A FRENZY

AND SIGNAL,
"OUT, OUT, OUT."

AND I BELIEVE
THE JUDGE SAID

SOMETHING
TO THE EFFECT THAT,

"I'M NOT LETTING
A FUCKING CHIMPANZEE
COME IN HERE

AND--AND MAKE A MOCKERY
OF MY COURTROOM,"

OR SOMETHING
TO THAT EFFECT.

AND THAT'S WHEN I SAID
"I'M GOING TO BRING,

IN EFFECT,
A HABEAS CORPUS PETITION

ON BEHALF OF A CHIMP.
BRING HIM TO COURT.

OUR OPPONENTS
WERE PIG-HEADED,
BUT THEY WEREN'T STUPID.

THEY REALIZED THAT
WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW,

ONCE I GOT INTO COURT,
THEY'D BE LOSING,

BECAUSE EVEN IF
THE JUDGE REFUSED
TO HEAR HIM,

THE MEDIA ATTENTION
WOULD HAVE BEEN
DEVASTATING.

AND THE DEAN OF
THE MEDICAL FACULTY
SAID,

"THAT'S IT.
GET THAT CHIMP
OUT OF HERE."

BEFORE ANYTHING
COULD HAPPEN,

SWOOPING DOWN LIKE
IN SOME WAGNERIAN DRAMA,

COMES CLEVELAND AMORY.

[BRAYING]

I WANT THIS
TO BE A PLACE

WHERE THOSE ANIMALS
THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED,

THAT HAVE BEEN MISUSED,
WILL FINALLY AND FOREVER

HAVE A PLACE
THAT THEY NEVER
WILL HAVE TO FEAR AGAIN.

Henry Herrmann:
MR. AMORY HAD
UP UNTIL THEN

PERHAPS
A WELL-DESERVED
REPUTATION

FOR DOING IMPORTANT WORK
FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS.

AND HE JUST WENT
AND BUYS THE CHIMP,

TAKES HIM TO
HIS BLACK HORSE RANCH,

OR WHATEVER
IT WAS CALLED,

AND SAYS,
"I AM SAVING NIM."

Interviewer: CLEVELAND AMORY
TO THE RESCUE AGAIN.

NIM WILL LIVE HERE
FOR THE REST OF
HIS NATURAL LIFE.

Woman:
"HERE MY STORY ENDS.

MY TROUBLES ARE OVER,
AND I AM AT HOME."

AND THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS
AS YOU DRIVE INTO
BLACK BEAUTY RANCH.

HE WAS THE ONLY ANIMAL
WE EVER BOUGHT,

AND WE DIDN'T KNOW
A THING ABOUT CHIMPANZEES,

BUT WE JUST THOUGHT
IT WAS BETTER--

WHAT WE COULD DO WAS BETTER
THAN WHERE HE WAS.

[BIRDS SINGING]

IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE
A HOME FOR CAGED ANIMALS.

[HORSES NICKER
AND SNORT]

IT IS REALLY A HOME
FOR ABUSED AND ABANDONED
EQUINE ANIMALS.

THAT'S ANIMALS
JUST WITH HOOVES.

Bob: WE WERE AGHAST
THAT HE WOULD JUST
PICK UP THIS CHIMP,

TRANSPORT HIM
TO A HORSE RANCH

SOMEWHERE
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE,

AND THERE WAS
NOBODY THERE

WHO KNEW HOW
TO TAKE CARE OF A CHIMP.

Marion Probst:
WE BROUGHT HIM
TO BLACK BEAUTY

AND BUILT
A HOUSE FOR HIM.

IT WAS A BIG,
KIND OF A SQUARE PLACE,

AND IT HAD
A PORCH OUTSIDE SO THAT
HE COULD GO OUTSIDE.

AND HE HAD ALL SORTS
OF TOYS TO PLAY WITH,
BUT IT WAS SOLITARY.

CHIMPS ARE
SOCIAL ANIMALS,

AND YOU CAN'T JUST PUT
ONE CHIMP IN A BOX

AND EXPECT EVERYTHING
TO BE COOL.

SOME OF THE TIME,
HE WAS SITTING LIKE THIS
IN THE CORNER,

AND YOU JUST THOUGHT,
"WHAT IS HE THINKING?

WHAT IS HE MISSING?
WHAT CAN WE DO?"

WILL YOU PLEASE BE SURE
TO STOP OFF HERE IN
THE NATION'S CAPITAL?

[CROWD CHEERS]

WE HAD A TV DOWN,
AND THEN HE BROKE THAT.

AND THEN WE PUT ONE
UP IN THE CEILING.

[CHUCKLES] AND HE FOUND
A WAY TO GET UP THERE.

[GRUNTS]

WELL, OK,
YOU DON'T GET
A TELEVISION

IF THAT'S GOING TO BE
YOUR ATTITUDE.
[LAUGHS]

Bob: I WROTE LETTERS
TO CLEVELAND,

BITCHING AT HIM
ABOUT HOW

LEAVING NIM THERE ALONE
WAS VIRTUALLY TORTURE.

NOT ONLY DID THEY
NOT CARE WHAT I THOUGHT,

THEY WANTED ME
AS FAR AWAY FROM THEM
AS POSSIBLE.

AND THEY WANTED
TO MAKE THAT PRETTY CLEAR.

AND THEY DID MAKE THAT
PRETTY CLEAR.

YOU KNOW,
"IF YOU COME HERE,
YOU'LL BE ARRESTED."

I--I...I FELT IT,
YOU KNOW,

AND I JUST WANTED TO--

LIKE, I DON'T KNOW. I--

Marion: HE GOT OUT
A NUMBER OF TIMES.

WHAT HE WANTED TO DO WAS
GO IN THE RANCH HOUSE.

BE IN THE RANCH HOUSE,
BE WITH PEOPLE,

SLEEP IN A BED.

WELL, WE HAD A BED
FOR HIM IN HIS HOUSE,

BUT HE NEVER SLEPT IN
THE BED IN HIS HOUSE.

[BARKING]

ONE TIME WHEN HE CAME
IN THE HOUSE,

THERE WAS
A LITTLE WHITE POODLE.

THING THAT JUST BARKED
AND BARKED AND BARKED

AT THIS CHIMPANZEE
COMING THROUGH THE DOOR.

HE JUST PICKED IT UP
AND SWUNG HIM
AGAINST THE WALL.

HE MEANT TO SHUT
THE DOG UP.

BUT, OF COURSE,
HE KILLED THE DOG.

THERE WAS ANOTHER TIME
WHEN HE WENT IN
THE HOUSE

AND HE PICKED UP A CHAIR
AND THREW IT THROUGH
THE WINDOW.

THIS--THIS IS
A VERY MISERABLE
CHIMPANZEE, YOU KNOW.

HE'D HAD
SUCH A CHECKERED LIFE.

HE'D GONE FROM HERE,
TO HERE, TO HERE,
TO HERE, TO HERE.

THEY SHOULD BE LEFT--

THEY SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN
AWAY FROM THEIR MOTHERS
IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[METAL BANGS]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[CROW CAWS]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

Stephanie: I KNEW
THAT NIM WAS THERE.

I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT THE QUALITY OF
HIS LIFE THERE.

YOU HEARD GOOD THINGS
AND BAD THINGS
AND SO ON,

AND I THOUGHT,
WHY NOT GO?

Jenny:
SO WE ALL FLEW OUT
TO TEXAS.

WE GO TO THE RANCH,
WE MEET THE PEOPLE
TAKING CARE OF HIM.

HE WAS ALONE.
HE WAS THE ONLY CHIMP THERE.

I HAPPENED TO BE
LOOKING AT HIM

WHEN STEPHANIE GOT
OUT OF THE CAR,

AND HE SAW HER,
AND HE RECOGNIZED HER
RIGHT AWAY.

AND THE LOOK ON HIS FACE
WAS JUST,

"OH, NOW YOU COME.

"NOW YOU COME.
NOW I'VE BEEN
THROUGH ALL THIS,

AND NOW YOU COME."

HE DEFINITELY
RECOGNIZED US.

WHETHER HE WAS HAPPY
TO SEE US,
I DON'T KNOW.

[BARKS]

Stephanie:
HE WASN'T PARTICULARLY
ATTRACTIVE TO ME

NOW THAT HE WAS
AN ADULT CHIMPANZEE.

I DIDN'T HAVE
A--A, "OH, ISN'T HE BEAUTIFUL,"

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

HE WAS--HE WAS--
I DIDN'T KNOW HIM.

[GRUNTS]

Jenny:
MY MOTHER DECIDES THAT

SHE WANTS TO GO INTO
THE ENCLOSURE WITH NIM,

WHICH DIDN'T--

WHICH HAPPENED SORT OF,
"I'M GOING TO GO IN
WITH NIM."

[GRUNTING]

WE SAID TO HER,
"HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
HE'S GOING TO WELCOME YOU,

SO MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T GO
INTO HIS FACILITY."

[GRUNTS]
[METAL RATTLES]

I WAS CURIOUS.
IS HE GOING TO SIGN?

IF IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN,
WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE LIKE?

[LAUGHS] STEPHANIE,
PLEASE DON'T GO IN THERE.

HE'S NOT IN A GOOD MOOD.
YOU KNOW?

YOU CAN TELL
HE'S NOT IN A GOOD MOOD.

[GRUNTING]

OPENED THE GATE
AND WALKED IN.

NIM WENT UP TO THE, LIKE,
FIRST-AND-A-HALF STORY.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
PRETTY HIGH UP.

AND I REALIZED
HOW MUCH DANGER I WAS IN.

[GRUNTING]

[HOOTS]

HE CAME DOWN,

AND THEN
IT WAS A BLUR.

[HOOTS]

HE GRABBED HER
BY THE ANKLE

AND HE STARTS
DRAGGING HER,

RUNNING BACK AND FORTH
LITERALLY LIKE
A RAG DOLL,

JUST PULLING HER
BACK AND FORTH.

I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING
TO KILL HER,

THAT HE WAS GOING TO
SWING HER AGAINST THE WALL

AND THEN SWING HER
AGAINST THE WALL AGAIN.

THERE WAS NOTHING LOVING
ABOUT IT. HE WAS FURIOUS.

[GRUNTING]

I REMEMBER THERE BEING
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT

GETTING THE GUN OR NOT
GETTING THE GUN, YEAH.

SO THEY GOT A GUN.

NO, HE'S NOT GOING
TO KILL HER.

HE'S JUST
REALLY PISSED OFF.

[GRUNTS]

THINGS DISSIPATE,
AND HE SORT OF WANDERED OFF,

AND I WAS ABLE TO
GET OUT A DOOR.

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG
THE WHOLE THING LASTED.

THE FACT THAT
HE DIDN'T KILL HER
MEANT A LOT.

'CAUSE HE COULD HAVE.

AND HE
WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD,

'CAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE
SHOT HIM.

I HAD ABANDONED HIM,

AND HE HAD MANAGED
TO GROW UP,

AND I HAD WALKED BACK IN

AS IF
I HAD NOT ABANDONED HIM.

AND HE SAID "NO.
THIS IS MY SPACE.

"I'M GOING TO PUT YOU
IN YOUR PLACE.

BUT I'M NOT GOING
TO HURT YOU."

WE HAD DONE
SO MUCH DAMAGE

REMOVING HIM FROM
WHAT HIS LIFE
SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

WE EXPLOITED
HIS HUMAN-LIKE NATURE

WITHOUT REGARD
TO HIS CHIMPANZEE NATURE.

WE WERE CO-OPTING HIM
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

IT WAS WRONG.
IT WAS WRONG.

[HORN HONKS]

ABOUT A YEAR AFTER
NIM WAS SOLD TO THE FUN,

THEY PURCHASED A FEMALE
CHIMPANZEE TO BE WITH HIM.

AROUND 10 YEARS AFTER THAT,

I HEARD SHE WAS
IN FAILING HEALTH.

I WAS WORRIED THAT NIM
WAS GONNA BE ON HIS OWN AGAIN.

AT THAT SAME TIME
I WAS TOLD THAT A NEW GUY
HAD TAKEN OVER THE RANCH,

AND HIS NAME WAS CHRIS BYRNE.

AND SO I APPROACHED CHRIS
ABOUT VISITING NIM.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETS]

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

ONCE I MET CHRIS,

I WAS REALLY,
REALLY REASSURED

THAT THINGS WERE GONNA
BE MUCH BETTER FOR NIM.

Chris Byrne: LOOK, NIM.
SOMEBODY'S COME TO SEE YOU.

OH, HE'S GOT
HIS HACKLES UP.

Woman: AWW.

HEY, IT'S OK.
Bob: HI, NIM.

WHAT'S UP, BUD? NIM.

HE'S GOING TO DO
A COUPLE OF MINUTES
OF DISPLAYING.

OH, THAT'S OK. NIM.

WHAT'S UP, BUD?

YEAH, I KNOW, BUDDY.
WHO AM I? WHO AM I?

HEY, WHO ARE YOU?

[KISSES]

PLAY, PLAY.

[NIM CHIRPS]

PLAY WHERE? WHERE?

[GRUNTING
AND PANTING]

YOU ARE HAVING
SUCH A GOOD TIME.

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

[GRUNTS AND LAUGHS]

YES!

I SAID TO CHRIS,
I HAVE A WAY
TO HELP YOU,

AND I KNOW
I CAN HELP YOU TO
GET OTHER CHIMPS,

SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER.

BUDDY.
THINGS ARE IMPROVING.

THINGS ARE
WAY IMPROVING.

IT'S TAKEN A WHILE, THOUGH.
IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME.

IT HASN'T BEEN EASY.

Chris Byrne:
ON AUGUST THE 10th, 1995,

THE DEAN OF
NYU MEDICAL CENTER ANNOUNCED

THAT LEMSIP WOULD BE CLOSED.

AND I THOUGHT,
I'M GOING TO TRY AND SAVE

AS MANY OF THE CHIMPS
AS I CAN,

BUT IN A VERY QUIET WAY.
SECRETLY.

HEY, LOU-LOU.
WHAT'S UP, GIRL?
HOW YOU DOING?

THAT'S WHERE BOB CAME IN,
THROUGH THE SECRET NETWORK.

WHAT'S UP, NIM?
WHO IS THIS OVER HERE?

WHO IS THIS OVER HERE, NIM?
WHO IS IT?

THIS IS GOING TO BE
YOUR NEW ROOMMATE.

READY?
YEAH. YEAH.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

ISN'T THAT NICE?

[INDISTINCT]

[LAUGHS]

HE WANTS
SOME OF THAT YOGURT.

LOOK AT THAT.

[METAL CLINKING]

James:
WHAT DO YOU THINK, MITCH?

I TOLD YOU
IT WOULD BE NICE,
DIDN'T I?

Chris: JIM MAHONEY MOVED
LITERALLY 50, 60 CHIMPS.

AND WE DID, INDEED,
GET 2 CHIMPS FROM LEMSIP

THROUGH MAHONEY
TO BLACK BEAUTY RANCH.

MITCH WAS
A YOUNGISH ADULT MALE,

AND LOU-LOU WAS
VERY GENTLE.

LOU-LOU IMMEDIATELY
WENT TO HER DEFENSE,

AND NIM CAME OVER.

VERY GOOD, LOU-LOU.
SHE'S SO GOOD.

Bob: YEAH,
YOUR FRIEND, LOU-LOU.

I THINK MITCH AND LOU-LOU
REALLY HELPED HIM OUT
ENORMOUSLY.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

WHAT, NOW YOU'RE
MAKING NOISES FOR IT.

WHAT'S--WHAT'S
THE NAME OF THIS?

HEY--I'M--NIM'S.
NIM'S WHAT?

WHAT? SODA POP, I KNOW.

THINGS WERE AS GOOD
AS COULD BE EXPECTED,

BASED ON EVERYTHING YOU KNOW
THAT HAD GONE ON PREVIOUS.

OH, YEAH,
THAT'S SO GOOD, NIM.
ISN'T IT GOOD?

IT WASN'T EXACTLY PERFECT,

BUT IT WAS
PRETTY DAMN GOOD.

Chris: CHIMPS ARE
TRULY WONDERFUL ANIMALS.

THEY'RE VERY FORGIVING,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM.

THEY--THEY'LL FORGIVE YOU.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

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