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| Koko signs "Koko Love" |
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Koko
"Fine Animal Person Gorilla"
Koko is perhaps the world’s most famous gorilla. She was cared for by Dr. Penny Patterson when she was just 1 year old at the San Francisco Zoo. This began a pioneering interspecies language study that is still progressing after 35 years. Koko’s sign language vocabulary exceeds 1,000 words used in complex statements, and she understands over 2,000 words of spoken English. She is smart, creative and has a good sense of humor. She paints, and has a special love of kittens. Koko also used “video dating” to select her current companion, Ndume. Koko’s charisma and fame enable her to play a powerful role as ambassador for her species in particular, and for great ape conservation in general.
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