Koko, Gorilla That Talks in Sign Language, Is Finally Getting a Mate

After a complicated courtship, Koko the “talking gorilla” is finally getting a mate. The prospective partner, Ndume, is a gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo. He will arrive at the 6.5-acre Gorilla Foundation in Woodside tonight. After 30 days in isolation as a health precaution, the two will be introduced. “It was a long struggle,” said primatologist Penny Patterson, “but it looks like the beginning of what we hope will be a productive relationship.”

Koko was born in the San Francisco Zoo but was raised by Patterson and taught American sign language in a controversial long-term experiment. The gorilla is said to have a vocabulary of 1,200 to 1,600 words and has been the subject of books, news stories and films. “Koko is now in the prime of her reproductive years and has said she wants a baby,” said filmmaker Dale Djerassi, a longtime Gorilla Foundation member.