1978: When Morley met Koko

1978: When Morley met Koko

Koko, the gorilla who mastered sign language, died Tuesday in California at the age of 46.

While on assignment for 60 Minutes in 1978, Morley Safer met Koko, who was 6 years old at the time, and Dr. Francine "Penny" Patterson, the psychologist who taught the ape how to sign. In the story, Koko requested something to eat by using a computer that translated the keys she hit into voiced language.

An excerpt of the story is in the video player above.

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