Before an estimated audience of between 8000 and 20,000 people, Koko, a 26-year-old lowland gorilla who speaks American Sign Language, held court on the internet on Monday. Bombarded with questions, Koko answered about a dozen, including one on her choice of beverage: I like drinks, she signed. Apple drink. Koko’s excursion online was sponsored by AOL and Envirolink to draw attention to the plight of her species, fewer than 500 of which remain in the wild. Web surfers were keen to hear Koko’s views on Darwinian evolution and the new remake of King Kong, but the 300-pound gorilla lost interest in the session. Her final comment was: Lights off. Good.
