Koko (gorilla)

Hanabiko "Koko" (July 4, 1971 – June 19, 2018) was a female Western lowland gorilla, cared for by Penny Paterson. She was known for having learned a large number of hand signs from a modified version of American Sign Language (ASL). Koko was able to understand more than 1,000 signs of what Patterson calls "Gorilla Sign Language" (GSL).^[1]

Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo and lived most of her life in Woodside, California.^[2] Koko gained public attention upon initial reportage of her adopting a kitten as a pet.^[3]

Koko was also known for meeting many celebrities such as Robin Williams and Mr. Rogers.^[4][5]

Koko died on June 19, 2018 in Woodside, California at the age of 46.^[6][7]