This article was published in:
"Ontario Dentist" October 2004

When Koko the gorilla used American Sign Language to tell her teacher Penny Patterson that her mouth was in pain, 12 specialists, including three dentists, sprang into action.

When Koko began explaining her discomfort, pointing to a molar on her upper left, Dr. Patterson devised a pain chart offering Koko a scale from 1 to 10. When Koko indicated that an operation was needed as opposed to more medicine, a dental appointment was made.

"She would clearly communicate her pain level using her pain chart," explained research assistant/gorilla caregiver Tierra Wilson. "We were all eager to help."

"It's not often that we get to work on a celebrity," Dr. David Liang, assistant professor of medicine at Stanford, said. "Probably Koko is less demanding."

The only significant findings were periodontally related and were successfully treated by Dr.Bob Turner, DDS, Dr.Joe A. Provines ,DMD and Dr.Merhan Fotovatjah, DDS.

Koko insisted on meeting her specialists before she went under anesthesia. They crowded around her, and Koko asked one woman wearing orange to come closer. The woman handed her a business card, which Koko later politely returned. Koko was excited and eager for her tooth to be fixed.

Koko is now resting after her operation. "She is doing exceptionally well, purring occasionally and generally wondering what all the fuss is about," said Tierra Wilson.


Adapted fromThe Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org.
http://www.koko.org/kokomart/members.html

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Koko showing her pain level on her pain chart.

Thank you dear Inda for sharing this article.

It is both truly interesting and absolutely amazing.

It must be fascinating to work with Koko!

Love, Margherita

Thank you for sharing this.
Koko looks like the perfect patient. I wish they would all be like that.

Sue

Koko is a very good patient.
I hope that all patients are as good as her.

Love
Vicky

That's about how I feel when going to the dentist...

I wonder what size her toothbrush is? he he..

That would make a great toothpaste commercial!

Koko is probably better than many HUMANS her age!

This is a fun story Inda, thanks! Bananas to all! he he..

Love and light breath, Teo

Hahaha... we found a toothbrush for Koko

I love Koko's brush

Sue

Thank you for this post.
This is absolutely delightful.

Gisele

I found some toothpaste for Koko. I just hope that it is big enough.

Love
Vicky

Koko being a nice gentleman with Penny

Love,
Margherita

Thank you Margherita, for sharing this delightful picture of Koko and penny.

Koko knows human sign language; she knows 1000 signs.

Koko was born on July 3rd, 1971 in San Francisco, California

Koko had a pet cat whom she named All Ball

Thank you Inda and Margherita for adding more pictures of Koko. I find this very fascinating.

Sue

Thank you for all these wonderful pictures.
I love Koko and the kitten. I was told that when the kitten died Koko was very depressed for a long time, she would not eat at all or communicate with anyone. I am glad that she is feeling better now.

Love
Vicky

I LOVE KOKO

Project Koko is the cornerstone of TGF/Koko.org's work. By demonstrating the intelligence of gorillas, TGF/Koko.org can more effectively lobby for the humane treatment of captive animals and increased conservation efforts for those that are free-living. Project Koko has proven the stereotyped image of gorillas as blood-thirsty, destructive monsters unequivocally false. Indeed, it has forced a re-examination of traditional thought regarding all animals. The project has shown that an animal can possess qualities that were previously considered exclusively human, such as thought processes, imagination and feelings. This knowledge is crucial to all animal advocacy efforts, from the prevention of cruelty to animals to the conservation and preservation of endangered species.

http://www.koko.org/world/



Koko (born July 4, 1971, in San Francisco, California) is the name of a gorilla taught by Dr. Francine 'Penny' Patterson and other scientists at Stanford University to communicate with more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English. She has lived most of her life in Woodside, California, but plans for a move to a sanctuary in Maui, Hawaii, are nearing attainment.

Koko's cats

Although not unique, Koko is one of the few non-humans known to keep pets of a different species. She has cared for several cats over the years and Koko's relationship with All Ball was featured in the 1987 book Koko's Kitten (Scholastic Press, ISBN 0-590-44425-5), which was written by Dr. Patterson.

Other gorillas known to have cared for pets include Toto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla)

By the human way of reckoning, Koko is surely the world's most accomplished gorilla, having mastered more than 1,000 words in American sign language. In doing so, she has helped overturn age-old preconceptions about the limits of animal intelligence, expressing thoughts and emotions of astonishing sophistication.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/koko/

How wonderful that Koko can go to a nice sanctuary on Maui, HI

Koko is short for the name Hanabi-Ko, meaning "fireworks child" in Japanese (a reference to her date of birth, the Fourth of July).



I have read that Koko will very soon be in Maui, Hawaii.
What a wonderful place to be.

Love,
yoko

Thank you yoko.

I see that Koko already has a lei.
This is beautiful.

Love,
Vicky

Here is a little bit of a sad story:

Michael and Ndume

Michael, a gorilla who lived with Koko for several years, also developed a broad vocabulary of signs, over 600, but did not become as proficient as Koko before his death in 2000. Michael's caregivers believe that he witnessed and remembered his mother's death at the hands of poachers, but was unable to clearly express the event. In the PBS Nature special Koko: Conversation with a Gorilla a group of Michael's signs is interpreted to be an attempt to convey a description of his mother being shot as he watched. While it was intended that Koko and Michael might produce a baby gorilla and teach it to sign, the two saw each other as siblings and did not mate.

Another gorilla, named Ndume, was selected by Koko from a group of videotapes shown to her by her "Mother" Penny, who played several tapes showing male apes of her species, in what may be described as an attempt at "video-dating." Despite these efforts, Koko and Ndume have also not become mates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla)

This is a picture of Ndume