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Patterson Communication

Decent Essays

My initial reaction once I heard about Koko, a gorilla that was being taught communication skills by a researcher, I was a little defensive. I am a strong believer that animals should not be kept in captivity, but rather, should be able to experience wildlife like they are intended to. However, as I began to see Koko as a baby and the bond that she had built with Patty Patterson, my outlook began to change. It was so adorable to see how Koko took to Patterson and not only participated in her activities, but seemed to enjoy them. The researchers treated Koko with respect and Koko did not seem to mind their company. I like how Patty discussed that they would celebrate Koko’s upcoming birthday and provide her with presents and a cake, something …show more content…

It was clear that Koko was picking up on signs very quickly and seemed advanced for just any old gorilla. Koko knew over 300 signs that she used “to convey deep and complex motions”. There was a part in the video when a man explained his encounter with Koko the first time that he had met her. Patterson introduced him as a “friend” and Koko grabbed his hand and signed for him to open a door so that she could receive something that she had wanted. Koko had a very high level of understanding that without this man’s key, she would be unable to get into the room to retrieve the object that she wanted. This intrigued me because I could not believe that Koko was able to contextualize the steps that would be required to get into the room, something that not even young children can comprehend. As the film progressed, they showed how they introduced a male gorilla named Michael to Koko in hopes that one day when he was older, they would mate. It was cute to see how the two gorillas interacted socially the first time that they had their encounter. This scene really caught my interest because even though Michael was not a baby, they still were able to teach him sign language. This was intriguing because it showed how much the gorillas could adapt to certain situations and comply with orders despite their

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