Sign Language
Penny Patterson wanted to examine this and see if animals could express themselves using language. She first began working with Koko in 1972. Her first idea was to try to teach Koko American Sign Language or ASL.
Sign Language
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Learning American Sign Language
Koko was only on loan at first to Penny Patterson for a short study on interspecies communication. After successfully teaching Koko some American Sign Language, she consulted fellow researcher, Ronald Cohn. The two decided to start a non-profit organization which aimed to officially adopt Koko. They co-founded The Gorilla Foundation to officially support the adoption and research efforts about the amazing gorilla.
Learning American Sign Language