Dear Friend,
One of my favorite things about working with Koko was watching her curiosity lead to new discoveries. In the above video youโll see me introduce her to a small microphone/recorder. After she hears Smoky the catโs meow played back, I ask her โ using only spoken English โ to try making her own sounds.
Koko responds with deep breaths, then a soft purr that shifts in tone, and finally she signs โCandy there?โ to make sure her effort is rewarded (which I respond to by handing her some nuts). What is remarkable is that she understood my spoken request without signs and produced different sounds intentionally.
This shows us that gorillas have more control over their voices than we once believed, and that they can connect sounds, gestures, and meanings across different modes of communication.
Koko revealed that gorilla communication is far more flexible and complex than we ever imagined, and her example continues to inspire us to keep listening and learning.
With Koko-Love,
Dr. Penny Patterson
President, CEO and Founder
The Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org
Conservation through Communication
The Gorilla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our Federal Tax ID is: 942-38-6151
With your support, Kokoโs legacy lives on โ protecting gorillas in Africa
and giving them a voice worldwide.
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