Koko was known by many. She was best known for her skills in using sign language better than most people. Koko, a western lowland gorilla, was born on July 4, 1971, at the San Francisco Zoo.
By the time Koko was 4 years old, her longtime caretaker and trainer, Penny Patterson, reported that Koko had become familiar with a vocabulary of more than 170 words. Her amazing ability to learn sign language so quickly made Koko an instant celebrity. She also understood around 2,000 words of spoken English.
On June 19th, 2018, Koko, unfortunately, died in her sleep, but before she left this earth, she made sure that she made an impact on everyone she met. Around the time of Koko’s passing, Inside Edition shared a video highlighting Koko’s most memorable moments.
One of the most iconic moments for Koko is the fact that she was on the cover of National Geographic magazine twice. Once, holding a camera up to her eye taking a picture, and the other of her cuddling a kitten.
Koko also lived everyone's dream by being close friends with Mr. Rogers and Robin Williams. When Robin met Koko, he described it as a “mind-altering experience.” It was reported that when Robin died, the news devastated Koko.
Mr. Rogers included Koko in one of his episodes in 1998. In the presence of Mr. Rogers, Koko was very calm and at ease and even told him that she liked him.
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Koko was also a lover of cats and even got one for her birthday in 1984. The footage of Koko handling her kitten is absolutely amazing. She is nothing but gentle and treats the kitten as if it's her own baby. Later in her life, she adopted three more kittens to add to her family.
Inside Edition said it best, “Her life on her was extraordinary. One that taught humans about empathy beyond the human race and one that will touch audiences and warm hearts forever.”
To view Koko’s most memorable moments, click the video!
