Not everyone knows the story of Koko, the smartest gorilla in the world, this beautiful animal was born in a San Francisco zoo in 1971. Psychologist Francine? Patterson decided to adopt him for a study at Stanford University in the United States.
The initial goal was to have a linguistic experience. The psychologist would try to teach American sign language to the deaf and dumb, and if he accomplished this feat, he could communicate with her and learn firsthand how a primate thought.
- “The first thing to do was to civilize the man in his relationship with the man himself.
- Should we now civilize man in his relationship with nature and animals?-Victor Hugo-.
After 43 years working with Koko, all we can conclude is that she has never ceased to amaze those who know her, her progress has been impressive. Not only did he learn sign language perfectly, but he also conveyed affectionate messages to the world and showed that there was much more to learn skills.
This story has been controversial from the beginning. At first, everyone doubted that he could learn sign language, it was believed that he would be able to repeat his coach’s gestures, but without understanding its meaning.
Dr. Patterson thought she could do it and patiently taught her. The first sign that Koko understood what he was saying was the fact that he was creating new words. An example of this is the word ring, did the instructor teach you the word?Bracelet, and the word ‘finger’, but not the word ‘ring’. But one day, Koko combined the bracelet and finger sign to designate a ring worn by his instructor.
Currently, Dr. Patterson says Koko handles a language of 1,000 signs in total and includes 2,000 words in English, plus there are videos in which the gorilla appears to emit onomatopoeics, that is, sounds deliberately produced to communicate something. I could say a few words.
Dr. Patterson was reading stories for Koko. The gorillas’ favorites were?The cat in boots? And a story of three kittens. Almost every day, he asked his instructor to read the same stories. One day, unexpectedly, Koko said he wanted to have a cat.
Coincidentally, three cats were abandoned near the farm where Koko lived. One of them was a tailless woman and Koko adopted her. In sign language he nicknamed her “Bolita”. Since then, she has become an inseparable friend of Koko’s: she cared for the kitten fondly, they played together and she was always watching for what she was doing.
After 15 years of friendship, Bolita was hit by a car and died. Patterson told the gorilla she would never see her friend again. Koko said he felt sad. There is a video in which she seems to cry when she is alone, which could compromise what was thought of animals like Koko: she was aware of what death is.
Researcher Maureen Sheehan asked Koko about this. In sign language, did he answer that gorillas die of?Problems, or old age. He also said that after death, they went to “a comfortable place. “And when asked if the gorillas were happy or sad after death, Koko replied that neither did Koko. They’re just asleep.
One fact that has caught a lot of attention and is documented on video is Koko’s relationship with actor and director Robin Williams; After Bolita’s death, Koko was sad for a long time, smiled again when Williams visited her and played some games. I was very happy with that. When they announced his death, Koko expressed deep sadness.
Another incredible episode occurred when an expert explained to Koko what climate change is, she was surprised and very interested in the subject, then sent a message to humans through sign language, she asks us to take care of the planet, so that we do not. Be stupid. And alert: “Nature is watching. ” This fact is also recorded on video.
The experience with Koko shows not only that his species is endowed with great intelligence, but also that it has a very rich emotional world, they are capable of making rational and moral judgments, this case confirms what many have achieved a long time ago: animals . and we humans are a brotherhood, where there are more similarities than differences.