Koko (gorilla)

female gorilla under research subject

Hanabiko "Koko" (July 4, 1971 – June 19, 2018) was a female Western lowland gorilla, cared for by Penny Paterson. She was known for having learned a large number of hand signs from a modified version of American Sign Language (ASL). Koko was able to understand more than 1,000 signs of what Patterson calls "Gorilla Sign Language" (GSL).[1]

Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo and lived most of her life in Woodside, California.[2] Koko gained public attention upon initial reportage of her adopting a kitten as a pet.[3]

Koko was also known for meeting many celebrities such as Robin Williams and Mr. Rogers.[4][5]

Koko died on June 19, 2018 in Woodside, California at the age of 46.[6][7]

References change

  1. Fischer, Steven R. (1999). A History of Language. Reaktion Books. pp. 26–28. ISBN 1-86189-080-X.
  2. "CHECK IT OUT: Gorilla project under redesign". The Maui News. 2007-10-01. Archived from the original on 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  3. Patterson, Francine (Penny), Koko's Kitten Archived 2017-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, photographs by Ron Cohn (1985)
  4. Jan Turner (2012-07-02). "Koko the Gorilla with Robin Williams.mp4". Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  5. Koko's Farewell to Mr. Rogers
  6. "The Gorilla Foundation is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Koko". Archived from the original on 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  7. Koko The Sign Language Gorilla Dead At 46