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

Mister Rogers fans will remember Koko—the gorilla he befriended. What you may not know is that Koko redrew the line between people and animals—beginning with learning sign language in the 1970s. Learn more about Koko at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow on PBS SoCal 1. | PBS SoCal

According to The Gorilla Foundation, Koko was a big Mister Rogers fan. She appeared on an episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood in 1998. This video clip is from another encounter in 1999. More info: https://www.koko.org/node/1894 | PBS Hawai‘i

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

1.7K views · 45 reactions | [Video] Koko the Gorilla Celebrates Her Birthday with Adorable Kittens—[Full story in cᴑmments] | Nature and Wildlife TV | Facebook

886 reactions · 282 shares | This incredible gorilla used sign language to ask for the perfect birthday present: A box of kittens. Watch Koko and her unlikely friends hit it off in this clip from The Lift: America's First Mobile Morning Show.. | The Weather Channel | Facebook