The Kellogg’s Experiment

Donald Kellogg was born to psychologists Luella and Winthrop Kellogg. In an effort to understand how the environment affects chimpanzee growth and the potential for chimp humanization, they made the decision to raise their child alongside a chimpanzee named Gua.

Gua was 7 months old when the experiment began, and Donald was 10 months. They were raised as siblings; they shared a bed, ate at the same time, dressed in the same clothes, and played with the same toys.

As the experiment went on, Donald began to mimic Gua by mimicking chimpanzee sounds and walking like one. He was evolving into a savage child over time. The experiment was stopped as a result since they had anticipated Gua to copy Donald rather than the other way around.

The experiment left a lasting impression on Donald, who committed suicide at the age of 43. While Gua passed just a year after her and Donald were split up.