Koko the sign language Gorilla

I always like reading about Koko.
Enjoy:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5649239/

WOODSIDE, Calif. - When Koko the gorilla used the American Sign Language gesture for pain and pointed to her mouth, 12 specialists, including three dentists, sprang into action.

The result? Her first full medical examination in about 20 years, an extracted tooth and a clean bill of health.

About a month ago, Koko, a 300-plus-pound ape who became famous for mastering more than 1,000 signs, began telling her handlers at the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside she was in pain. They quickly constructed a pain chart, offering Koko a scale from one to 10.

When Koko started pointing to nine or 10 too often, a dental appointment was made. And because anesthesia would be involved, her handlers used the opportunity to give Koko a head-to-toe exam.

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Word on the street is that Koko will soon be recruited as a speechwriter for GW.

...her nephew, and she's embarrassed for the rest of the family.

I missed this story--thanks for posting.

Koko rocks!

stylin'

"They crowded around her, and Koko, who plays favorites, asked one woman wearing red to come closer. The woman handed her a business card, which Koko promptly ate."

lol