Did You Know There’s a Talking Gorilla? Watch the Video for Yourself…

Key Points

• It has not been easy to study the behavior of western mountain gorillas as they have been heavily hunted and therefore avoid humans.
• Thousands of hours of footage were collected over forty years and it seems to indicate that Koko was communicating via sign language.
• In addition to the work detailed in this clip, further research has supported the theory that gorillas are intelligent

This heartwarming account of Francine Patterson and her work with a female western lowland gorilla called Koko is mind-blowing. This remarkable and sometimes controversial relationship has spanned decades. Thousands of hours of footage were collected over forty years and it seems to indicate that Koko was communicating via sign language. This raises the crucial question about what, if anything, animals are ‘thinking’. It also raises important ethical issues about the rights of animals. Scroll down to watch the full remarkable video.

Where Do Western Lowland Gorillas Normally Live?

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered and their numbers are decreasing. They live in submontane (foothills and lower slopes) and lowland habitats. These primates have a preference for dense and undisturbed forests that have plenty of food. For gorillas that means lots of high-quality herbs, fruits, aquatic plants and seeds. To reach the aquatic plants, they will often travel to swampy areas. However, they may also be found nesting along savanna forest edges. In terms of elevation, they are seen between 500m above sea level and 1,900m above sea level.

Their range has significantly shrunk in the last few decades. Populations of gorillas are threatened by agriculture and aquaculture, transport infrastructure, climate change and energy production to name just a few threats. As a result, they are only found in a handful of African countries including Nigeria, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.

What Do We Know About Gorilla Behavior?

It has not been easy to study the behavior of western mountain gorillas as they have been heavily hunted and therefore avoid humans. It is known that they live in social groups. Within the group, there is little conflict or aggression but silverbacks (mature males) can have explosive displays of dominance.

Gorillas make facial expressions and are vocal – they can produce 22 different sounds including barks, hoots, screams and grunts. In addition to the work detailed in this clip, further research has supported the theory that gorillas are intelligent. A recent study on blood supply to the brain has suggested that today’s gorillas are smarter than our human ancestors who walked the earth three million years ago!

Watch the Incredible Video Below