Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative

About Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative

Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative, commonly known as Ape Initiative, is a great ape sanctuary and scientific research facility in Des Moines, Iowa. It sits on 230 acres and is home to a family of six bonobos: Elikya, Maisha, Nyota, Teco, Clara, and Mali. The organization was announced in 2002 and received its first ape residents in 2004, originally launched as the Great Ape Trust, also known as the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary, by primatologist Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and Des Moines businessman Ted Townsend. It was renamed in 2013 and is now supported by Kennesaw State University.

The facility's work centers on non-invasive, interdisciplinary study of bonobo cognitive and communicative capabilities rather than public exhibition of animals in the manner of a traditional zoo. Its bonobos communicate with researchers and staff using a collection of more than 400 lexigram symbols, printed on paper or displayed on computer touch screens, a system developed to study how apes acquire and use language-like communication.

History

The organization was announced in 2002 and welcomed its first apes in 2004 under the name Great Ape Trust, also called the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary. It was co-founded by primatologist Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, known for her research into ape language acquisition, and Des Moines businessman Ted Townsend. The facility was renamed Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative in 2013 and today receives institutional support from Kennesaw State University.

Kanzi, one of the facility's best-known bonobos, was part of the colony until his death in 2025. Kanzi's history there is well documented: he acquired language competency largely by observing humans attempt to teach language to Matata, the wild-caught grandmother of the family group, and he was filmed making music, building a fire, and crafting simple stone tools as part of the research documenting his abilities. Nyota, another member of the family, is described as the first ape reared both by humans and by a language-competent ape mother, while Teco, the youngest of the group, has been studied for what researchers describe as the epigenetic effects of language acquisition.

Exhibits and habitats

Ape Initiative is not organized around visitor pathways and themed exhibit areas the way a traditional zoo is. Its 230 acres in Des Moines are built around housing for a single bonobo family group rather than a curated collection displayed across multiple habitats, reflecting the facility's identity as a sanctuary and research center rather than an exhibition-focused zoo.

The core of the facility's day-to-day work is its lexigram communication system, in which more than 400 symbols are printed on paper or shown on computer touch screens so researchers and bonobos can communicate. This system, rather than any single physical exhibit, is what the organization's own materials describe as central to how the property functions, since it underpins both the cognitive research conducted on site and the bonobos' day-to-day interaction with staff.

Animal highlights

The facility is currently home to six bonobos: Elikya, Maisha, Nyota, Teco, Clara, and Mali. Kanzi, a seventh long-term resident, was part of the colony until his death in 2025. Three of the bonobos — Kanzi, Nyota, and Teco — are highlighted in the organization's own materials for having learned important elements of human culture during their first year of life, and the group as a whole communicates with humans using a shared system of more than 400 lexigram symbols.

More than 400 scientific papers and multiple books document the capabilities of the bonobos at the facility, and their work has been the subject of television coverage including features with Oprah, Anderson Cooper, 60 Minutes in Australia, the BBC, Paul McCartney, and Peter Gabriel.

Conservation and programs

Ape Initiative's public-facing work leans heavily on published research and educational writing rather than on-site programs for visitors. Its own materials cover topics such as the neuroscience of human empathy toward primates, including mirror-neuron research and studies on how emotional engagement with primate behavior connects to conservation attitudes and support; the role elder female primates play in transmitting ecological knowledge and social stability within groups, drawing on long-term field studies of chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans; and the effects of climate change on primate habitat and food availability across tropical and subtropical forest regions.

The organization has also published on the psychological welfare challenges facing captive primates, including the effects of social isolation and the limits of standard enrichment practices, drawing on accreditation standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and on case studies from other sanctuaries such as Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. This body of work positions Ape Initiative's research program as concerned with both the cognitive science of its own bonobo colony and the broader welfare and conservation questions facing captive and wild primates generally.

Planning your visit

Hours, admission pricing, parking, and accessibility details were not available in the materials reviewed for this page. As a research facility centered on a resident bonobo family group rather than a large public exhibit collection, Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative's visitor policies may differ from those of a traditional zoo. Anyone planning a trip should check the official Ape Initiative website directly for current information on tours, visiting hours, and any restrictions before making plans.