It’s hard not to marvel at the intelligence in the animal kingdom.  From the beginning of time, humans have longed for a way to communicate with the other species that roam our Earth.  One of the greatest instances of human-animal bonding and communication was the famous case of Koko the Gorilla.  Not only did she prove that animals are capable of amazing feats of intelligence, but she also showed us the true depths of animal compassion and emotional awareness.

“Koko has a very strong sense of self…she’s got a strong ego.”

-Francine Penny Patterson

President and Scientific Director of The Gorilla Foundation

Background

The legend of Koko began on the 4th of July, 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo.  With a medley of fireworks in the background, the Western lowland gorilla quite literally came in with a bang.  Her original name was Hanabi-ko, which appropriately translates to, “fireworks child” in Japanese.  In 1976, she was transferred to The Gorilla Foundation preserve in the mountains of Santa Cruz.

It was there that she met her best friend, Francine “Penny” Patterson, a psychology student at Stanford conducting an experiment for her Ph.D. program.  With all due respect to Naomi Watts and Charlize Teron, no human has ever formed a bond with a gorilla quite like Francine Penny Patterson. In an attempt to communicate with the great ape, they started teaching Koko American Sign Language.  She was able to add over 2,000 English words to her vocabulary and could capably communicate with Patterson and others involved.  She also had about 1,000 additional signs for what Patterson refers to as, “Gorilla Sign Language”.

She became a global sensation and earned the cover spot of the 1976 edition of National Geographic.  Her clout was acknowledged across the celebrity spectrum, as she sported friendships with the likes of Robin Williams, Leonardo Di Caprio, William Shatner, Mr. Rogers, Betty White, and Peter Gabriel.

Koko managed to score 70-90 on IQ tests when periodically surveyed.  Forrest Gump, for instance, had an IQ of 75 and retired with millions in the bank, Medals of Honor, and acres of property.  In true American fashion, the first words Koko mastered were, “Eat, drink, more”.  Koko weighed about 250 pounds and took in 7 pounds of food per day.

She was actually raised alongside a male counterpart, a gorilla named Michael.  Surprisingly, he and Koko never mated.  Her caretakers believed Koko viewed Michael as a sibling instead of a potential mate.  Unfortunately for Michael, the friend zone is alive and well across all forms of life.

Kittens!

Koko was an animal lover across the board, but kittens were her true soft spot.  Ron Cohn, a biologist working with the program gifted Koko a stuffed animal for Christmas in 1983.  But Koko would settle for nothing less than the real thing, and refused to play with her lifeless toy and constantly gestured the sign for, “sad”.  The crew caved and got her a real kitten a year later.  Koko chose a kitten named, “All Ball” from the litter and the two were immediately inseparable.  

All Ball was tragically hit by a car after escaping Koko’s cage one day.  Biologists reported Koko signing, “Bad, bad bad…Frown, cry, frown, sad, trouble” while making a weeping noise.

Koko let us venture deeper into the psyche of an animal than ever before.  She passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 21st, 2018 at the age of 46.  But the barriers she broke for human-animal interaction will forever be monumental.