April 27

Talking Gorilla Chats with Humans Worldwide

On this day in 1998, a gorilla named Koko and her interpreter, Dr. Penny Patterson, hosted the first interspecies chat session on the Internet. Having studied American Sign Language for more than 25 years, Koko communicates better than any other nonhuman.

With the help of Dr. Patterson, Koko answered questions online, covering topics such as a trip to Hawaii, birds, and food. The goal of the chat session was to educate people about advances in primate communication and about the increasing threat to gorillas in the wild.