In this video a young Koko visits Stanford’s campus with Dr. Penny Patterson in the early 1970s. Project Koko began with Patterson’s Stanford Psychology PhD project, evolving into the longest running ape language experiment ever conducted. In this clip,
Koko’s inquisitive personality and eagerness to learn are already evident while she enjoys exploring the open spaces in Palo Alto.
Notice how she mimics the interspecies sculpture. Koko and Penny also sign while exploring Stanford University’s campus.
They shared a very special interspecies bond, and learned from each other on these beautiful excursions.
Project Koko started as a Stanford Psychology Department PhD project, and developed into a nearly 5-decades long interspecies communication study that gave us a glimpse into the emotional, intellectual, and empathetic capacities of gorillas.
It’s legacy continues through the 5-decade multimedia archive created by the late Dr. Ronald Cohn, who cofounded Project Koko with Dr. Patterson.
