Koko (gorilla) facts for kids
Koko in December 2015
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| Species | Western gorilla |
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| Sex | Female |
| Born | July 4, 1971 San Francisco Zoo, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 2018 (aged 46) The Gorilla Foundation, Woodside, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | The Gorilla Foundation |
| Known for |
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Hanabiko "Koko" (July 4, 1971 – June 19, 2018) was a famous female western lowland gorilla. Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo. She spent most of her life at The Gorilla Foundation's special home in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Her name, "Hanabiko," means "fireworks child" in Japanese. This name was chosen because she was born on July 4th. Koko first became well-known when she adopted a kitten as a pet. She named him "All Ball," which many people thought showed her ability to rhyme.
Koko's main teacher and caregiver was Francine Patterson. Patterson reported that Koko learned over 1,000 signs. She called this "Gorilla Sign Language" (GSL). This vocabulary level is similar to a three-year-old human child. Koko also reportedly understood about 2,000 spoken English words.
Koko's life and her amazing learning journey have been shared in books and on a website. While some scientists debated how much Koko truly used language, many agreed she was very intelligent. She scored well on infant IQ tests. Some experts even believed Koko used language much like people do.
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Early Life and Fame
Koko was born on July 4, 1971, at the San Francisco Zoo. Her parents were Jacqueline and Bwana. Koko was the 50th gorilla born in a zoo. She was also one of the first gorillas accepted by her mother in captivity.
When Koko was one year old, she became very sick. She was taken to the zoo's hospital for treatment. Francine Patterson and Charles Pasternak cared for Koko there. They were doing research for their studies at Stanford University. Koko was loaned to them for at least four years. She ended up staying with Patterson for the rest of her life. Patterson later started The Gorilla Foundation to support gorilla research and protection.
In 1978, Koko became famous worldwide. She was on the cover of National Geographic magazine. The picture showed Koko taking her own photo in a mirror! She was featured again in 1985 with her kitten, All Ball.
Many famous people visited Koko at her home. These included Robin Williams, Fred Rogers, Betty White, William Shatner, Flea, Leonardo DiCaprio, Peter Gabriel, and Sting.
Amazing Abilities
Using Language
Francine Patterson reported that Koko used signs to show she understood sign language. Koko started her training when she was just 1 year old. She learned over 1,000 signs. She could even combine them in complex ways.
Patterson said Koko used signs in very advanced ways. For example, Koko could talk about things that were not right in front of her. This is called "displacement." When she was 19, Koko passed the mirror test. This test shows if an animal recognizes itself in a mirror. Most other gorillas do not pass this test.
Koko was also said to invent new signs. For example, she was not taught the word for "ring." Instead, she combined the signs for "finger" and "bracelet" to create "finger-bracelet." This showed her creativity with language.
Some scientists had questions about Koko's language use. They wondered if she truly understood the meaning of her signs. They also thought that her trainers might have accidentally given her clues. However, many still found her abilities remarkable.
Intelligence
Between 1972 and 1977, Koko took several infant IQ tests. These included the Cattell Infant Intelligence Scale. She scored between 70 and 90. This is similar to a human baby who might be a bit slow but not have a learning disability.
Francine Patterson explained that comparing Koko's IQ directly to a human baby's is tricky. Gorillas develop physical skills faster than humans. Also, gorillas and humans grow up at different rates. So, using a gorilla's age to figure out their IQ might not be the best way to compare them.
Pets
Researchers at The Gorilla Foundation said Koko asked for a cat for Christmas in 1983. When she was given a stuffed animal, she wasn't happy. She kept signing "sad." So, for her birthday in July 1984, she got to choose a real kitten.
Koko picked a gray male Manx kitten. She named him "All Ball." Penny Patterson, who cared for Koko, wrote that Koko treated the kitten like her own baby gorilla. Researchers said she tried to care for All Ball and was very gentle. They thought this would help Koko learn how to care for her own baby one day.
In December 1984, All Ball got out of Koko's cage and was hit by a car. Patterson said that when she told Koko what happened, Koko signed "Bad, sad, bad" and "Frown, cry, frown, sad, trouble." Patterson also heard Koko make a sound like human crying.
In 1985, Koko chose two more kittens to be her friends. She named them "Lips" and "Smoky." Koko chose the name "Lips" after seeing the tiny orange Manx kitten. When her trainer asked why, Koko signed, Lips lipstick.
In July 2015, Koko celebrated her birthday with another litter of kittens. She picked two and named them Miss Black and Miss Grey.
Later Life and Death
After Patterson's research, Koko moved to a special preserve in Woodside, California. There, Koko lived with another gorilla named Michael. Michael also learned sign language, but he passed away in 2000. Koko then lived with another male gorilla, Ndume, until her own death.
Koko weighed about 280 pounds (127 kg). This is more than a wild gorilla, who usually weighs between 150 and 200 pounds (68–91 kg). However, The Gorilla Foundation said Koko, like her mother, was naturally a larger gorilla.
Koko died peacefully in her sleep on June 19, 2018. She was 46 years old. The Gorilla Foundation shared a statement saying Koko's impact was huge. They said what she taught us about gorillas' feelings and intelligence will keep changing the world. Even though she was quite old for a gorilla, her death surprised the staff.
See also
- Primate cognition
- List of individual apes
