Koko the gorilla, whose remarkable sign-language ability and motherly attachment to pet cats helped change the world’s views about the intelligence of animals and their capacity for empathy, has died at 46. Koko was taught sign language from an early age as a scientific test subject and eventually learned more than 1,000 words, a vocabulary similar to that of a human toddler. She became a celebrity who played with the likes of William Shatner, Sting, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Williams and Mr. Rog

Koko gets a kitty visit! Those of you who have been following Koko’s journey over the years know how much Koko loved to spend time with her feline friends. In this sweet clip she selects one named “Tigger” from a litter that came to visit, and cuddles with him. Koko’s maternal nature was exemplified in these gentle and inquisitive interspecies interactions, and she demonstrated the emotional and empathic capacities of all great apes. | Koko & The Gorilla Foundation

KOKO & PENNY READ "KOKO'S KITTEN" — PART 1: THE BOOK In this video from KokoArc, it’s 1988 and Koko is very eager to look at the book “Koko’s Kitten." This book was first released in 1985 by Scholastic. Koko looks at some of the photos with Penny and signs about them. She then takes the book to higher ground to examine it on her own — an expression of her autonomy. She also demonstrates her creativity and enthusiasm by using some signs simultaneously — like “Gorilla-Animal” and “Book-Hurry." Kok

189K views · 4K reactions | Koko's Kitten Playdate... In this...