I'm not crying, you're crying... Any words that could be said about Koko and her significance would fall short of the actual mark; one could never communicate adequately just how important Koko was to so many people in so many fields and disciplines, let alone the personal affect she'd had on millions of people that reconsidered what they thought they knew about animal psychology, even what was accepted as known about the higher cognitive faculties in sentient beings as a general whole. Koko redefined not only how we guage intelligence in animals, but also how we regard a non-human's capacity for emotional depth. I can't say whether she had an understanding of how much she meant to the world, but it is clear that she kept surprising the world with just how aware of it she was. I'm confident that if people could donate a year off of their own lifetime towards somebody else's, Koko would be one of the handful that'd be bestowed immortality. In Koko's 46 years, she taught us a lot about what it means to be human, she taught us patience in understanding, and she provided us with a lens necessary for the insight into the affairs of humans and non-humans alike. She was an invaluable perspective that the world is poorer without. I won't begin to list Koko's biographical account, because I could never quite cover it in the finite space I have here, though the internet is a bustling archive of information you can learn all there is to know about Koko and her extraordinary presence on our planet during her lifetime. The world may never know another one like you. Thank you for everything you meant to everyone you touched. I know of no better ambassador between the human and non-human world. May your effect be a lasting one; may your legacy inspire a more inquisitive future generation. Sending all of my love with you on the next leg of your journey. Rest in Peace gentle giant. #restinpeacekoko #kokothegorilla #koko
