Koko the Gorilla uses sign language to request dental work
April 30, 2008
WOODSIDE, California (AP) — 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.
“She’s quite articulate,” volunteer Johnpaul Slater said. “She’ll tell us how bad she’s feeling, how bad the pain is. It looked like it was time to do something.”
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