Koko the gorilla has passed away at the age of 46.

Source: The Gorilla Foundation

Here are a few things to remember about Koko.

• The name Koko is derived from her original name, Hanabi-ko.
• Hanabi-ko is Japanese for “Fireworks Child.”
• She was born on July 4, 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo.
• Koko was a western lowland gorilla.
• The gorilla was famous for her ability to use sign language.
• This was taught to her by Dr. Francine Patterson.
• Patterson started the process of teaching the gorilla sign language just one year after she was born.
• Patterson and Dr. Ronald Cohn moved Koko and their project to Stanford in 1974.
• They then went on to create The Gorilla Foundation.
• The Gorilla Foundation, as well as Koko, later moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1979.
• Other gorillas, such as Michael and Ndume, also joined the project.
• She was featured on the front cover of National Geographic two separate times.
• The first time was for the October 1978 issue and it had a picture that the gorilla had taken of herself in a mirror.
• The second time she was on the magazine cover was in January 1985.
• That second National Geographic issue also included a story about Koko and her pet kitten, All Ball.
• A children’s book about the gorilla and her kitten, titled Koko’s Kitten, was published following the article.

“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” The Gorilla Foundation said in a statement. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.