Koko, a western lowland gorilla who caught the public’s attention in the 1970s for her ability to use a form of American Sign Language, died in her sleep Tuesday morning (June 19), the Gorilla Foundation announced. She was 46 years old.
“Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world,” the foundation says in its statement.
Koko was born in 1971, and as an infant became a subject in a language research project run by psychologist Francine “Penny” Patterson. Patterson taught Koko signs and forged a lasting relationship with her, later starting the Gorilla Foundation to care for her and another gorilla. Koko was featured in National Geographic, and her fame grew through other attention, including a BBC documentary and a children’s book, Koko’s Kitten. Koko even learned to play the recorder, ...
