Michael (gorilla) facts for kids

Michael (born March 17, 1973, in Cameroon – died April 19, 2000) was a special gorilla. He was the first male gorilla known to use American Sign Language (ASL). Michael learned over 600 signs. He was taught by Koko, a female gorilla, and by Dr. Francine Patterson and her team from Stanford University. Michael was an orphan. He spent most of his life in Woodside, California. There, he became famous for his colorful abstract paintings.

Michael's Early Life

Michael was a gorilla whose parents were killed when he was just a baby. His caregivers believed he tried to talk about his mother's death using sign language. They thought he was describing how hunters had killed her. When he was three years old, Michael moved to Stanford. He began living with Koko, another gorilla who also used sign language.

Michael's Favorite Things

Michael had many things he enjoyed. His favorite color was yellow. He loved watching TV shows like Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Michael also liked listening to music, especially opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. He enjoyed looking at pictures too. Painting was a very serious hobby for Michael. Unlike Koko, who painted for fun, Michael took his art very seriously.

How Michael Used Language

Michael learned more than 600 signs in American Sign Language. He even learned some signs from Koko. For example, both gorillas used the sign 'stink' for 'flowers'. They also used 'lip' to mean 'girl'. Gorillas' bodies are different from humans'. So, Michael and Koko used a slightly changed version of ASL signs. They adapted the signs to fit their physical abilities.

People who are deaf sometimes create new signs by putting two or more signs together. This helps them express ideas they don't have a single sign for. They also repeat or exaggerate signs to show emphasis. Michael and Koko used these same techniques. They combined signs and repeated them to make their meaning clear.

Michael learned 20 new words in his first year with The Gorilla Foundation. He even seemed to describe a sad event from his past. His human caregivers believed he was talking about his mother's death. He used signs like: "Squash meat gorilla. Mouth tooth. Cry sharp-noise loud. Bad think-trouble look-face. Cut/neck lip (girl) hole."

Michael often acted like a young child. He used sign language to talk about his feelings, memories, and even lies. Both Michael and Koko used the sign "fake" to describe a lie. They also used it when they doubted if something was true.

Michael's Passing

Michael died on April 19, 2000. He passed away due to heart failure. Koko and another gorilla named Ndume were very sad. They mourned Michael's death for several months after he was gone.