Gorilla grieved 6 months after the death of a friend – then Robin Williams made her laugh again
It’s hard to believe that the iconic comedian Robin Williams is no longer with us. But Williams took his own life in 2014 – and the world has been a sadder place ever since.
It wasn’t just humans fans who mourned his tragic passing either – it turns out that one of his famous friends, Koko the gorilla, we equally devastated.
Koko the Gorilla
If you haven’t heard the name Koko, you should know that she was a very special creature. Sadly, she passed away in her sleep on June 18, 2018, just 2 weeks before her 47th birthday, but left behind quite a legacy.
She was the subject of “Project Koko” — the longest-running interspecies communication study in history which employed sign language to let her wants and feelings be known. Oh, and she also really liked kittens.
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The gorilla, who became ill as an infant and hand to be hand-reared by humans after her mother rejected her was in the care of Penny Patterson for most of her life.
After 40 years, she had a vocabulary of over 1,000 words.
A comedic meeting
In 2001, Koko experienced a long bout of sadness with her childhood gorilla companion passed away at the age of 26. And that happens to be the same year Robin Williams paid her a visit.
They reveled in each other’s company and, according to TODAY, Koko pulled Williams’ glasses off his face and tried them on, picked his pocket, rifled through his wallet, and towards the end of their meeting, she kissed his hand and pulled him in for a big hug.
The comedian called the moment “transformative.”
But Williams gave something back to Koko too – her smile.
“Notice that Robin made Koko smile — something she hadn’t done for over six months, ever since her childhood gorilla companion, Michael, passed away at the age of 27,” Patterson said. “But not only did Robin cheer up Koko, the effect was mutual, and Robin seemed transformed.”
Koko gets the news
Koko got the news about Williams’ passing when she saw her handlers receive the news over the phone and asked why they were so sad. After Patterson explained what happened, the gorilla appeared very upset. (Of course, some claim that we’re simply projecting human emotions onto a creature that doesn’t experience them.)
“At the end of the day, Koko became very somber, with her head bowed and her lip quivering,” they said.
In a press release from The Gorilla Foundation (which housed Koko), handlers recalled the meeting and the pair’s ability to just sit together and become pals.
“Robin’s ability to just ‘hang out’ with Koko, a gorilla, and in minutes become one of her closest friends, was extraordinary and unforgettable for Koko. We hope that it now becomes unforgettable for you, too. And when you remember Robin Williams, remember that he is not only one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, he is also one of the world’s most powerful ambassadors for great ape conservation.”
The foundation posted a tribute video to the pair’s friendship in 2014 that’s been viewed over 14 million times on their YouTube channel alone.
Be sure to scroll down to see the heartwarming interaction between the two.
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Source: YouTube – kokoflix, Koko.org, TODAY, Koko.org – Press release