This one hurts my heart a lot. Koko the Gorilla passed away in her sleep on Tuesday at the Gorilla Foundation's preserve in Santa Cruz.
She was born in the San Francisco zoo in 1971 where she began to learn sign language. She became fluent in ASL and millions of people around the world watched videos of her signing, in amazement. Not only that, Koko loved to paint!!
Koko was also a cat lady.. she loved her kittens!! Watching videos of Koko playing with and petting her kittens made me sooo happy. Watch a great 2018 update on her and her kittens here.
Koko had many celebrity fans as well - such a Robin Williams. This video of them will hit you in the feels.
In a press release, the Gorilla Foundation said, "Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world."
RIP Koko - you will be missed dearly.