Last year, I wrote a book about a bonobo. It was called The Science of Understanding.
When I researched the book, I discovered so much about the world of primates. Chimpanzees and bonobos are the most intelligent of the lot. Although many primates exhibit extraordinary intelligence on many different levels.
Like Gorillas. One of those I came across was Koko. She was the gorilla who spoke to us.
I have to tell you. I love Koko the gorilla.
Not in a distant, documentary way. But in a different way, because she showed me a new level of awareness. She made me rethink what it means to be intelligent. And gentle. And alive.
Koko was born on July 4, 1971, at the San Francisco Zoo. Fireworks Day. Fitting, really. Her birth name, Hanabiko, meant “fireworks child.”
But of course, the world would come to know her simply as Koko. And the things she revealed to us were nothing short of explosive in the best sense. She truly was a fireworks child.
Here is the thing. Koko didn’t just learn tricks. She learned language.
Koko’s human was a woman named Francine “Penny” Patterson. I will tell you. Patterson was completely devoted and wholly committed to the teaching and guidance of Koko. As such, Koko learned to understand roughly 2,000 spoken English words and communicate about 1,000 of them using sign language.
That alone is astonishing. But what is truly amazing was how she used language. Not just as memory. Koko knew how to apply that language to express feelings, desires, humor, sadness, and love. To watch videos of her is completely remarkable.
Here is another big dang deal. In 1978, Koko appeared on the cover of National Geographic after taking a photo of herself in a mirror. A gorilla, holding a camera, seeing herself taking the photo. She knew how it all worked. Again. It’s rather remarkable.
And then there was All Ball.
When Koko asked for a cat for Christmas, they gave her a stuffed toy instead. Well, that was a deal breaker for Koko. She signed that she was sad. Truly sad. So somehow they came to let her have a real cat. She was allowed to choose a real kitten.
She picked out a gray-and-white one and named her All Ball. Koko carried around that little kitten with all the gentleness in the world. Cradled her. Loved her. And then, eventually, mourned her when she was gone. Yep. Koko had a cat.
Koko reminded us that intelligence is not cold. It isn’t just for humans. She showed us that intelligence is emotional. Relational. Tender.
She lived for 46 years. I’ll tell you. It was so sad when she died. She passed in her sleep in 2018. The world lost a great being when Koko died.
Koko didn’t just learn our language.
She taught us many things about ourselves. We, humans, are not the only ones here. We are not the only ones who are aware. We need to become better at sharing with the world around us.
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“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” — Mahatma Gandhi“
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Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” — George Eliot“
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Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” — Anatole France“
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The eyes of an animal have the power to speak a great language.” — Martin Buber
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“Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
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