Some famous deaths come out of nowhere and hit us when we least expect them.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Koko, the gorilla who communicated learning sign language, has passed away.
Koko was 46, but her impact on our understanding of gorillas will endure for countless generations.
“The Gorilla Foundation is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Koko,” the foundation announced in a grim statement.
Koko, they report, passed away in her sleep on Tuesday morning.
The Gorilla Foundation adds: “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.”
Koko was famous for her use of GSL — Gorilla Sign Language, a version of sign language adapted for a gorilla’s motor capabilities and hand shape.
She reportedly knew as many as 1,000 signs and, having been exposed to human speech from birth, knew and understood 2,000 English words.
At her birth at the San Francisco Zoo, Koko was named “Hanabi-ko,” which is Japanese for “Fireworks Child.”
She was born on July 4, thus her name, in 1971.
She was 46 years old at the time of her death.
Wild gorillas are believed to have a natural life expectancy of 40 to 45 years.
The St. Louis Zoo says that Western lowland gorillas like Koko can potentially live for as long as 50 years, but to live so long, in the wild or captivity, is rare.
Koko first made headlines for her use of sign language to communicate in the late 1970s.
She was featured on the cover of National Geographic — in a photo that she herself had taken using a mirror.
(Don’t let anyone tell you that Millennials are the first to take mirror selfies — Koko was clearly Gen X)
Koko garnered attention again when she adopted a small gray kitten — after having requested one and not been satisfied by the stuffed kitten with which she was supplied.
She named the kitten “All Ball.” All Ball tragically passed away after escaping confinement and getting hit by a car. Koko grieved her, but was later allowed to pick out two new kittens.
She named one “Lipstick” because, as she had to explain (using just a few signs) to her caretaker, the kitten had a pink mouth. She named the other “Smoky” because it resembled a kitten from a book that she enjoyed.
Koko also made friends with the late, great Robin Williams. When she first met him, she recognized him from having seen him in a movie.
In 2014, she grieved his death along with the rest of us.
Koko also passed on her understanding of sign language to another gorilla named Michael.
Some challenged Koko’s ability to sign and her reported cognitive abilities over the years, stating that they believed that the Clever Hans effect might be at play.
(This was not implying that this is a prank, but simply that people’s confirmation bias will lead them to infer correct answers where there are none)
Koko’s ability to teach others was not merely limited to gorillas, however.
A bonobo reportedly picked up some sign language from merely watching videos of Koko, and surprised a researcher who was familiar with sign language with his communications.
Koko had a profound effect on how humans view the minds of non-human animals and especially of gorillas. Her legacy will endure.
She herself will be sorely missed.
