An unbelievably intelligent Japanese chimpanzee has passed away at the age of 49.
Ai, a female chimpanzee famed worldwide for her extraordinary intelligence and memory, died peacefully at the age of 49 in Japan. According to Kyoto University’s research centre, Ai passed away calmly due to old age and organ failure, with the centre’s staff by her side.
Ai held a unique place in the world of research on animal intelligence. She was brought to Japan from West Africa in 1977 and became the central figure in a major research project on chimpanzee cognition and memory. Ai also enjoyed drawing and painting, often creating pictures on paper.
Scientists reported that Ai was so intelligent that she could recognise numbers, colours and objects with ease. From an early age, she was trained using a specialised computer keyboard, and by the age of five, she could easily identify numbers, colours and a variety of objects.
Research reports indicate that Ai could recognise more than 100 Chinese characters, the letters of the English alphabet, numbers from zero to nine, and 11 different colours.
She is also known for an incident in which she attempted to escape from her enclosure by using a key in collaboration with another chimpanzee.
In 2000, Ai gave birth to a son, Ayumu, who has also gained fame in the scientific community for his exceptional memory.
Ai’s remarkable intelligence led to numerous scientific studies and media programmes. Her abilities were also the subject of research articles published in the renowned scientific journal Nature.
