A Chimp Named Washoe By Emily G. Thompson Washoe was a common chimpanzee and the first ever non-human to learn how to communicate with sign language, proving that chimps and humans could communicate in a common language. When her carer suffered a miscarriage, Washoe - who had lost her own babies -signed the word "cry" and asked for a hug. May 24, 2019 • 3 min read