Koko dead at 46

[Independent voter]

You'd hear about Koko from time to time. She could sign more than a 1,000 words.




https://nypost.com/2018/06/21/koko-g...en-dead-at-46/



Koko, the thoughtful gorilla who captivated the world through her ability to use sign language and revealed an empathetic side to great apes, has died. She was 46.

The western lowland gorilla passed away in her sleep Tuesday morning at the Gorilla Foundation’s preserve in California’s Santa Cruz mountains, the foundation said.

“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” the foundation said on its website. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”


Koko was believed to have had an IQ of between 75 and 95 and could sign more than 1,000 words. The average IQ of a human is around 90 to 110. She also understood spoken English.

Born at the San Francisco Zoo, the gentle, nearly 300-pound ape began learning sign language as a baby in 1974 from Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson as part of a Stanford University project.

She spent her entire life in captivity and became a celebrity in her own right.

Her remarkable ability to sign landed her on the cover of National Geographic twice — in 1978, in a photo she took of herself in a mirror, and again in 1985, with an image of her mourning the death of one of her pet kittens.

Throughout her life, Koko adopted several felines, using sign language to give them names like All Ball, Lipstick and Smoky. She was gifted a box of kittens on her 44th birthday.

Her love of animals spawned the children’s book “Koko’s Kitten” and her own branded line of toys.

In 2012, she stunned scientists by playing wind instruments, including the recorder, harmonica and party-favor whistles — an ability that showed primates can learn to control their breathing, NPR reported. Controlled breathing was believed to be beyond their ability.

Koko met a slew of celebrities over the years, like Betty White, Leonardo DiCaprio and the late Robin Williams — who shared hugs and laughs with the gorilla during their 2001 encounter.

“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 said.

[yoma]

You go, Glenn Koko

[jimboa24]

How old do gorillas normally live?

- - - Updated - - -

I honestly thought the gorilla was already dead.

Same. I heard about her like 20 years ago, and when I did it was from some news report from the early 90's.

[LiiLoSNK]

You go, Glenn Koko

God damn you.

[zEmini]

I never knew there was a Koko, but I do remember Amy from Congo. That is who i first thought of.

[m4xc4v413r4]

The average IQ of a human is around 90 to 110.

Sooooo, 100...
btw, that's not a coincidence, there's a reason it's 100, that's how the scale works, the average IQ is always 100.

[Techno-Druid]

First Alex, then Chantek, now Koko...

I just hope Kanzi sticks around for a while longer...

[sopeonaroap]

most of what koko could "do" is grossly exaggerated. she learned a bunch of tricks and was intelligent like other primates, but she was really just the first one to become famous and she wasn't impossible to work with. her intelligence and the tests they used to gather the data have been proven inaccurate at best.

it wasn't enough for her to be what already made gorillas great, they're super amazing as-is, but her accomplishments had to be sensationalized because science doesn't believe people give a shit unless it's a LITTLE bit bigger than life

[supertigerlamp]

Koko. That chip was alright.

High five.

[Themerlin]

Awww

She was amazing.

I loved seeing her play with her cats, and touch celebrity guests nipples.

[Deleted]

I don’t like too intelligent people, what if someone asks them stupid questions and they get an actual answer? Morpheus and his pills is nothing to that. Humans should be proud of what they do and keep sleeping of the wave they created.

[Prinky Doodsie]

You'd hear about Koko from time to time. She could sign more than a 1,000 words.




https://nypost.com/2018/06/21/koko-g...en-dead-at-46/



Koko, the thoughtful gorilla who captivated the world through her ability to use sign language and revealed an empathetic side to great apes, has died. She was 46.

The western lowland gorilla passed away in her sleep Tuesday morning at the Gorilla Foundation’s preserve in California’s Santa Cruz mountains, the foundation said.

“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” the foundation said on its website. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”


Koko was believed to have had an IQ of between 75 and 95 and could sign more than 1,000 words. The average IQ of a human is around 90 to 110. She also understood spoken English.

Born at the San Francisco Zoo, the gentle, nearly 300-pound ape began learning sign language as a baby in 1974 from Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson as part of a Stanford University project.

She spent her entire life in captivity and became a celebrity in her own right.

Her remarkable ability to sign landed her on the cover of National Geographic twice — in 1978, in a photo she took of herself in a mirror, and again in 1985, with an image of her mourning the death of one of her pet kittens.

Throughout her life, Koko adopted several felines, using sign language to give them names like All Ball, Lipstick and Smoky. She was gifted a box of kittens on her 44th birthday.

Her love of animals spawned the children’s book “Koko’s Kitten” and her own branded line of toys.

In 2012, she stunned scientists by playing wind instruments, including the recorder, harmonica and party-favor whistles — an ability that showed primates can learn to control their breathing, NPR reported. Controlled breathing was believed to be beyond their ability.

Koko met a slew of celebrities over the years, like Betty White, Leonardo DiCaprio and the late Robin Williams — who shared hugs and laughs with the gorilla during their 2001 encounter.

“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 said.

She should be recognized and remembered.

[Celista]

RIP Koko. Hope you have lots of kitties to play with wherever you're at. <3

[Deleted]

Koko was just a gorilla.

[Femininity]

Koko was just a gorilla.

A gorilla more intelligent than the majority of the MMOC userbase.

[Stelio Kontos]

Harambe no longer need be alone in his Heavenly Abode.

[Powerogue]

A gorilla more intelligent than the majority of the MMOC userbase.

Or, statistically speaking by those ranges, at least one of them. You know who you are.

RIP Koko. We've underestimated animals for a long time and I hope that those things we learned from her help us bridge that gap and better understand our very, very distant relatives.

[ParanoiD84]

She's with harambe now.

[Techno-Druid]

Koko was just a gorilla.

Just like you and I are both humans...

[IIamaKing]

Awww, thats a bummer.