For kids who grew up in the 1980s, Koko the gorilla was a familiar face who made appearances on numerous TV shows. She challenged the way we look at animals and gave us some incredibly adorable and heartbreaking moments. Most notable of course, was the fame she achieved for becoming the first gorilla to become fluent in American Sign Language. Born in at San Francisco Zoo in 1971, she displayed the language capacity of a child with learning difficulties. Her death in June of this year saddened fans across the globe.
One of the strongest messages that Koko delivered in recent years was one for the leaders of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Released by conservationist group Noé, the video racked up nearly two million views and featured Koko pleading with humans to help the planet before it was too late.
“Fix Earth!”
So how exactly did Koko deliver this message? Koko was taught over 1,100 ASL signs by her instructor and caregiver Francine Patterson. She also understood more than 2,000 words in the English language and would regularly convey her thoughts and emotions into sign language.
Her message from the video reads:
“I am gorilla… I am flowers, animals. I am nature. Man Koko love. Earth Koko love. But man stupid… Stupid! Koko sorry. Koko cry. Time hurry! Fix Earth! Help Earth! Hurry! Protect Earth… Nature see you. Thank you.”
