What do sign language and animals have in common? Koko the gorilla! Koko the gorilla is a Western lowland gorilla that was taught ASL, or American Sign Language. Koko is very special.
Koko the gorilla is a spectacular gorilla. She was born on on the 4th of July. She will be turning 46 this year. Koko has a complete birthday party every year. This includes cake, presents, and candles to blow out. Koko is a gorilla, and gorillas are very similar to humans. But one thing is different. She sleeps for 10-13 hours! Koko sleeps in a nest. But not the usual nests made out of leaves and sticks. because Koko is cared for by people, her nest is made out of blankets and pillows. Koko also sleeps with dolls and stuffed animals. Koko eats a lot. "Gorillas eat mostly plant foods like leaves, shoots, fruit, bulbs, bark, vines, and nettles," but "Koko's diet includes a wide variety of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables." Koko eats a lot of other treats, too.
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When Koko was very young, around 6 months old, she was very sick. When Koko recovered, Patterson began working with her on a new project she called GSL, or Gorilla Sign Language. Patterson is actually Francine "Penny" Patterson. Patterson started working with Koko as part of her Ph. D. research. She studied in psychology at Stanford University. Some people like to think that Koko is a genius. But as Patterson says, "She was given IQ tests several times when she was younger and scored between 70 and 95, where 100 is considered normal for humans. Her carers insist she is not, however, a 'genius' gorilla, just typical for her