Amber & Koko

I love Koko. I have loved her since I was wee and first read Koko's Kitten. She's a beautiful animal and an excellent ambassador for conservation. I definitely believe Koko is communicating through sign language, and that her view of the world is distinctly gorilla.

The keepers I work with at the zoo tend to frown on Koko and Dr. Penny because they think that Koko's environment and the project are excessively anthropomorphizing. At the zoo, there is no direct contact with the apes-- all feeding and interacting happens through the mesh. Koko watches TV and spends a good amount of time playing with human toys. I disagree that this robs her of her gorilla-ness. It may add some humanity but I think Koko remains a "fine animal gorilla."