Koko the Gorilla's death at 46 years old in 2018 shocked the world. Today, she is remembered as one of the most famous and impressive gorillas in history.
ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock PhotoAnimal psychologist Francine ”Penny” Patterson and Koko the gorilla.
Koko the gorilla’s death in 2018 was a shock to everyone, including the caretakers who called her family. The female gorilla was 46 years old when she passed and had spent her whole life with researchers in California.
Koko first rose to fame in the 1970s after demonstrating a knack for American Sign Language. By three years old, Koko knew over 200 signs. By the end of her life, that number rose to 1,000.
Her appearance with celebrities like Robin Williams, Jane Goodall, and Mr. Rogers catapulted her to fame and sparked public interest in great ape linguistic research. Nearly a decade after her death, Koko still remains the most famous gorilla in history.
The LEarly Life Of Koko The Gorilla
Koko.org / YouTubeKoko the gorilla with researchers from Koko.org.
Koko was born on July 4, 1971, at the San Francisco Zoo. Her full name, Hanabi-Ko, meaning “Fireworks Child,” was selected as the winner of the “name the baby gorilla” contest.
In 1972, Francine Patterson, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University, began “Project Koko,” the first project to study the linguistic capabilities of the gorillas. At first, Dr. Patterson taught Koko a few basic signs, “Food,” “Drink,” and “More” using hand modeling.
After years of working with Koko at the zoo, Patterson transferred her to a specialty-built facility at the Stanford University campus.
Then, in 1976, Dr. Patterson, alongside Dr. Ronald H. Cohn and Barbara F. Hiller, established The Gorilla Foundation, a non-profit research organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of gorillas and other great apes. The foundation obtained custody of Koko in 1977.
Koko.org / YouTubeKoko and Francine had a relationship unlike any ever seen in the history of human-animal relations.
In 1978, Koko made headlines after famed great ape researcher Jane Goodall visited her in California and was impressed by her language skills. By this point, Koko had learned over 200 signs in American Sign Language.
By the end of her life, Koko would learn roughly 1,000 different signs and over 2,000 English words, making her the most promising example of great ape language capabilities in history.
Koko Demonstrates Her Remarkable Skills
Koko.org / YouTubeKoko reading her alphabet book.
Koko the gorilla’s call to fame is undoubtedly her impressive language skills. Beginning when Koko was just a year old, Dr. Patterson began modeling and molding simple ASL signs. Workers at the Stanford facility reinforced this learning by signing to each other in front of Koko and speaking the words as they were signed.
Like a human child, Koko’s vocabulary grew the most when she was between 2.5 and 4.5 years old. In her 3rd year, Koko learned over 200 new signs. Alongside the simple words she first learned, Koko frequently used emotional signs like “sad,” “love,” “good,” and “sorry,” as well as words to describe her environment like “obnoxious” and “toilet.” She even invented her own signs for words she did not know, such as “scratch” with the sign for “comb” to mean, “brush.”
While her learning continued into her adult life, her rate of learning slowly tapered off. Still, her language skillset was impressive, and her reputation as the most talkative gorilla never waned. Her popularity attracted visits from celebrities like Mr. Rogers and Robin Williams, who enjoyed a heartfelt meeting with the gorilla in 2001.
In 2016, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers gave Koko his bass to play – not a terrible challenge for the animal, who learned to play the recorder in 2012.
Besides her language skills, Koko was best known for her love for other animals. Her most famous companion was a cat named All Ball, which she personally picked out in 1984. She also enjoyed the company of other kittens named Lipstick and Smoky after All Ball passed away.
The Gorilla FoundationKoko receiving her new kitten, Smoky.
Koko was a highly emotional and intelligent animal. On one occasion, Koko ripped a sink out of her room at the Woodside preserved and later signed “Kitten did it” when questioned. When her beloved All Ball passed away, she demonstrated grief, signing “sad, frown, cry, bad” and making a hooting sound she had only done once previously, when she was left alone in her cage as a baby.
“When we told Koko, she acted like she didn’t hear us for about 10 minutes. Then she started whimpering — a distinct hooting sound that gorillas make when they are sad. We all started crying together,” Ronald Cohn told the New York Post.
Her remarkable ability to empathize with other creatures won over the hearts of many, making her sudden death in 2018 all the more heartbreaking.
Inside Koko The Gorilla’s Death
After Dr. Patterson completed her research with Koko, the gorilla was moved to a seven-acre preserve in Woodside, California. There, she lived with two other male gorillas named Michael and Ndume.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Koko lived peacefully at the preserve, occasionally meeting celebrities and journalists who wanted to see her impressive skills in person. Outside of the preserve, the foundation continued to cite Koko’s capabilities to bolster support for the protection of great apes across the world.
Toward the end of her life, Koko continued to communicate with her caretakers and fellow gorillas. Her story appeared in several documentaries, including the BBC’s 2016 film, Koko, the Gorilla who Talks.
Then, on June 19, 2018, the world received the shocking news of Koko the gorilla’s death. The 46-year-old gorilla passed away in her sleep early in the morning, and despite Koko’s advanced age, her caretakers were caught by surprise by her sudden passing.
“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” the foundation said in a press release, adding, “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”
Koko was buried at a gravesite in Woodside, California, near the dwelling she called home. A burial ceremony was held to honor her and allow her loved ones to say their final goodbyes.
The Gorilla Foundation honored Koko’s long legacy by increasing its conservation efforts in the United States and Africa, as well as launching a sign language app featuring the famed animal. Despite Koko the gorilla’s death occurring nearly a decade ago, she is still remembered as one of the most impressive and beloved gorillas ever raised in captivity.
“I think her legacy is going to be the fact that she changed the way people think about gorillas. And, in the broader sense, she has changed the way people think about animals,” Mitzi Phillips, a volunteer at the foundation from 1983 to 1989, told the New York Post. “She lived a life that was so filled by people who genuinely loved her. That’s what made her so special.”
Next, read about Dian Fossey, the researcher who gave her life to stop the poaching of gorillas in Africa. Then, view 44 heartwarming photos of baby animals that will brighten your day.
