Koko, gorilla famed for using sign language and crying over pet kitten, dead at 46. Koko, the thoughtful gorilla who captivated the world through her ability to use sign language and revealed an empathetic side to great apes, has died. She was 46... “Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” the foundation said on its website. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.” Koko was believed to have had an IQ of between 75 and 95 and could sign more than 1,000 words. The average IQ of a human is around 90 to 110. She also understood spoken English. Born at the San Francisco Zoo, the gentle, nearly 300-pound ape began learning sign language as a baby in 1974 from Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson as part of a Stanford University project... Her remarkable ability to sign landed her on the cover of National Geographic twice — in 1978, in a photo she took of herself in a mirror, and again in 1985, with an image of her mourning the death of one of her pet kittens... In 2012, she stunned scientists by playing wind instruments, including the recorder, harmonica and party-favor whistles — an ability that showed primates can learn to control their breathing, NPR reported. Controlled breathing was believed to be beyond their ability... “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 said. https://nypost.com/2018/06/21/koko-...nguage-and-crying-over-pet-kitten-dead-at-46/
Still remember when she ripped the sink from the wall... and blamed the cat. 'All ball' I think it's name was - Koko named her! Rip.
Could have been an ambassador, was a circus attraction. Too bad there's little intention of making use of the knowledge we learned and that we would actually be able to communicate with gorillas.