Koko The Gorilla Dies; Redrew The Lines Of Animal-Human Communication Enlarge this image toggle caption Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Bettmann Archive/Getty Images "The Gorilla Foundation is sad to announce the passing of our beloved Koko," the research center says, informing the world about the death of a gorilla who fascinated and elated millions of people with her facility for language. Koko, who was 46, died in her sleep Tuesday morning, the Gorilla Foundation said. At birth, she was named Hanabi-ko — Japanese for "fireworks child," because she was born at the San Francisco Zoo on the Fourth of July in 1971. She was a western lowland gorilla. "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," the Gorilla Foundation said. Throughout her life, Koko's abilities made headlines. After she began communicating with humans through American Sign Language, she was featured by National Geographic — and she took her own picture (in a mirror) for the magazine's cover. That cover came out in 1978, seven years after Koko was chosen as an infant to work on a language research project with the psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson. In 1985, the magazine profiled the affectionate relationship between the gorilla and her kitten: Koko and All Ball. In 2001, Koko made a fast friend in comedian Robin Williams, trying on his glasses, showing him around and getting him to tickle her. Then they made faces at each other — and the gorilla seemed to recall seeing Williams in a movie. Years later, in 2014, Koko was one of many who mourned Williams' passing. YouTube Koko amazed scientists in 2012, when she showed she could learn to play the recorder. The feat revealed mental acuity but also, crucially, that primates can learn to intricately control their breathing — something that had been assumed to be beyond their abilities. Her ability to interact with people made Koko an international celebrity. But she also revealed the depth and strength of a gorilla's emotional life, sharing moments of glee and sadness with researchers Patterson and Ron Cohn. As Barbara J. King wrote for NPR about the BBC documentary Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks, when it aired on PBS in 2016: "Famously, Koko felt quite sad in 1984 when her adopted kitten Ball was hit by a car and died. How do we know? Here is nonhuman primate grief mediated through language: In historical footage in the film, Patterson is seen asking Koko, "What happened to Ball?" In reply, Koko utters these signs in sequence: cat, cry, have-sorry, Koko-love. And then, after a pause, two more signs: unattention, visit me." YouTube Now, it's humanity's turn to mourn Koko. Thousands of people are commiserating on the Gorilla Foundation's Facebook page posting about Koko's death. The top comment comes from Jess Cameron: "Legit bawling like a baby right now. This news just breaks my heart. From an early age I was fascinated with Koko and she taught me so much about love, kindness, respect for animals, and our planet." Over the course of Koko's life, sentiments like that have been counterbalanced by questions about her ability to use language in original and complex ways. And for Koko and other research subjects, there has also been skepticism over how their handlers interpret the animals' behavior. With Koko's passing, the Gorilla Foundation says it will honor her legacy, working on wildlife conservation in Africa, a great ape sanctuary in Maui, Hawaii, and a sign language app. The foundation says those who want to share condolences can do so by emailing kokolove@koko.org.<doc-sep>The beloved gorilla Koko, famous for being fluent in sign language, passed away in her sleep Tuesday in Woodside, California. The western lowland gorilla was 46. Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo in 1971 and became the star of "Project Koko," an experiment by scientist Penny Patterson and Stanford University in 1974 to teach gorillas sign language in order to learn about their cognitive abilities. "Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy. She was beloved and will be deeply missed," The Gorilla Foundation, a non-profit created to buy Koko from the San Francisco zoo, said in a statement. More:Watch Koko the famous signing gorilla go ape for her new kittens More:Gorillas more plentiful in Africa than thought, but population is still dropping More:Where the gorillas live Koko knew over 1,000 signs and could understand about 2,000 English words, even modifying words to express new meanings about how she was feeling. Koko was also a painter, choosing her colors and paint brushes with care. The gorilla was featured on the cover of National Geographic twice in her lifetime, once taking a picture of herself in a mirror and another time holding her pet kitten. After hearing the news that Robin Williams died, a friend of Koko's, the highly intelligent gorilla was somber all day. "Koko’s capacity for language and empathy has opened the minds and hearts of millions," the foundation said in statement.<doc-sep>
K oko the gorilla, who was famed for her extraordinary sign language skills, has died at the age of 46. The ape passed away in her sleep on Wednesday morning, the Gorilla Foundation announced. She was a primary ambassador for her endangered species and touched the lives of millions as an icon for interspecies communication and empathy. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed,” the organisation said. “Koko’s capacity for language and empathy has opened the minds and hearts of millions.” Koko was a western lowland gorilla born at the San Francisco Zoo in 1971. She was taught sign language by Dr Penny Patterson and Dr Ronald Cohn before she was moved to Stanford in 1974 where The Gorilla Foundation was established. The project expanded to include a second western lowland gorilla, Michael. Koko and The Gorilla Foundation then moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1979. She was featured in multiple documentaries and appeared on the cover of National Geographic twice. “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,” the foundation added. The foundation will continue to honour her legacy, advancing their mission with ongoing projects including conservation efforts in Africa and a sign language application featuring Koko for the benefit of both gorillas and children. Fans of Koko posted tributes to her on ocial media. Following the announcement of her passing, one user tweeted: “So heartbreaking. I remember being amazed at Koko when I was a child. Her legacy will live forever.”