Access to this video is a benefit for WQED members.
Latest Episode
- In 1971 Penny Patterson began teaching sign language to a gorilla named Koko, unaware that this relationship would define both their lives. Over 40 years on, now internationally famous, Koko continues to redraw the line between people and animals.
All Episodes
About Koko - The Gorilla Who Talks
In 1971, Penny Patterson, a graduate student at Stanford University, met Koko, a new-born gorilla in San Francisco Zoo. Penny had grown up wanting to communicate with animals and decided to teach Koko sign language in the hope of finally crossing the boundary between animals and humans.
Other shows you may enjoy
