The Case for the Personhood of Gorillas
by Francine Patterson and Wendy Gordon
http://www.abslogic.com/CaseForPersonhood.htm
Koko the gorilla seems to be a materialist. Observed evidence or
instinct?
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In stark contrast to the gorillas' ability to express humor is their
ability to communicate their thoughts and feelings about death. When
Koko was seven, one of her teachers asked, "When do gorillas die?" and
she signed, "Trouble, old." The teacher also asked, "Where do gorillas
go when they die?" and Koko replied, "Comfortable hole bye." When asked
"How do gorillas feel when they die-happy, sad, afraid?" she signed,
"Sleep." Koko's reference to holes in the context of death has been
consistent and is puzzling since no one has ever talked to her about
burial, nor demonstrated the activity. That there may be an instinctive
basis for this is indicated by an observation at the Woodland Park Zoo
in Seattle, Washington. The gorillas there came upon a dead crow in
their new outdoor enclosure, and one dug a hole, flicked the crow in,
and covered it with dirt.7
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