Koko: The Articulate Gorilla
Koko is one of the world's most articulate gorillas. This female western lowland gorilla is well-known for her ability to learn, understand, and speak in sign language (Perlman and Clark 1165).
Francine "Penny" Patterson: The Caregiver
Francine "Penny" Patterson, Koko's instructor, is able to care for this animal and meet all of her important needs. The video "A Conversation with Koko" is the subject of this paper's study.
Research Methodologies: Animal Experimentation and Archival Studies
The researcher's key methodologies included animal experimentation and archival studies. Animal experiments or study refers to studies done on non-human subjects. The techniques used by the researchers in the film were sufficient for the context. The surveyors used archives from the San Francisco Zoo and the films recorded by Ronald Cohn to gather more knowledge regarding Koko. Archival research provides reliable information relating to a scenario since they are not prone to tampering and biasness. Animal research is also a reliable source of credible information as all records about the physical, mental and psychological progress are made available to the researcher. In a nutshell, the researchers in the film used research methods that were valid and with increased level of accuracy.
The Choice - San Francisco Zoo or Sanctuary
Staying at the San Francisco Zoo or going to the sanctuary would have diverse consequences. The care that Koko would have been given in the zoo cannot match one that Penny gives her. At Penny’s residence, Koko gets food, medication, and additional intellectual support. Consequently, this gorilla has managed to study and comprehend a sign language. Koko developed the gorilla sign language that might be adopted by other animals to communicate to humans. A sanctuary would have been the worst option as care is only safety would be guaranteed and no intellectual development. The quality of services offered by some sanctuaries is also not apt for the animals kept there due to overcrowding. Therefore, the most appropriate option for Koko would be to stay with Penny so that she could get all the attention needed for her psychological, physical and mental growth and development. At the time when Koko was born, the zoos and wildlife preserve only acted as points of refuge for animals. The animals in these zoos and wildlife preserves were only used to entertain tourists. As such, a limited focus was placed on their safety, and general well-being leading to the deaths of most animals. Koko was Penny’s post graduate degree project ("A Conversation With Koko The Gorilla: Full Documentary"). Therefore, there existed a connection between the two persons making it impossible to break the connection between these two individuals. Consequently, both Penny and Koko experienced difficulty in letting on another go.
Language Studies and Human Evolution
The language studies conducted by the researchers through Koko are significant to the studies about human evolution. The various human evolutionary theories portray that humankind evolved from apes (Perlman and Clark 1167). There exist some similarities between gorillas and humans. According to Penny, humans have a similar hair count per unit area to the gorillas ("A Conversation With Koko The Gorilla: Full Documentary"). Therefore, the studies conducted on Koko regarding her speech is important in the exploration of how human being’s speeches emerged over time. The relevance of Koko’s study to other forms of scientific research is undebatable. Koko could be used as a lens through which researchers could determine explore other traits of gorillas as well as other animals.
The Significance of "A Conversation with Koko"
In a nutshell, "A Conversation with Koko" presents a story of a popular lowland gorilla who has gathered fame due to its intellectual capabilities. Penny has assisted this gorilla in developing communication with humans by teaching it sign language. Koko is a breakthrough in animal research as she could be used in human evolutionary studies.
Works Cited
“A Conversation With Koko The Gorilla: Full Documentary.” YouTube, 1999, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oh1uhrdc6w.
Perlman, Marcus, and Nathaniel Clark. “Learned vocal and breathing behavior in an enculturated gorilla.” Animal cognition vol.18 no.5 (2015): 1165-1179.
