Last week, my spotlight was on a local gentleman who, after surviving bladder cancer, started up a 501c3 to help other cancer patients.
This week’s story is far removed from my personal world. It involves a celebrity and a gorilla. Maybe you’ve already heard the story. I never did until I stumbled across it on Facebook today. I almost called BS. It was almost too outrageously sweet. It couldn’t possibly be true. I did some digging.
Happily, it is indeed, a true story.
It all started with a very smart gorilla named Koko. Born in 1971, she’s the first primate to learn sign language and communicate with humans. Most people are familiar with that part of the story, but there’s more to it.
In 2000, Koko’s mate, Michael (who also knew sign language), passed. She actually didn’t have a mate per se. Being born and raised by humans, she wasn’t attracted to her own species. Michael was her “boy who was a friend.”
They grew up together, so she missed him terribly and became depressed. After six months with little improvement, her caretaker and head researcher, Penny Patterson, was worried that she would suffer from long-term mental issues.
Enter Robin Williams. Penny knew Williams was a funny guy and thought that maybe he’d be able to cheer her up. You won’t get what you don’t ask for, so she reached out. Robin accepted the invitation immediately even though he had apprehensions. He knew nothing about primates and didn’t know how to act around her. He decided to let Koko call the shots and let her approach him on her own terms.
Williams soon realized that Koko was very much like a curious child. She soon started talking to him through sign language, asking him surprisingly intelligent questions. She was very fascinated by his glasses, calling them “strange eyes made of glass.”
They made quick friends. Soon, they were laughing, joking, and tickling each other. After that first visit, Robin made a point to visit her whenever he was able. Koko always maintained that her and Robin were friends.
Take note that midway through this clip, Koko starts to smile. She hadn’t done that in over six months. Robin Williams, also is transformed by the encounter.
When he passed in 2014, Koko was told that Robin was gone. She wept in her own gorilla fashion, remaining thoughtful for several days as she mourned her friend.
Koko passed four years later, at the age of 46. While there have been plenty of critics of Patterson and her claims, the fact remains that Koko has opened the doors to understanding gorillas’ emotional capacity and cognitive abilities.
Life is a dark ride 
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