Koko the Gorilla's Last Words Before Her Death in 2018 — Here's What She Signed

Hanabiko (Japanese for fireworks child) was a female western lowland gorilla nicknamed Koko who gained notoriety for her communication skills.

Koko the Gorilla was the subject of two National Geographic cover stories and had many famous fans, including Robin Williams, before her death in 2018 at the age of 46.

There have been many reports about what her final message to the world was.

It was at the San Francisco Zoo that Koko met Francine "Penny" Patterson, who conducted sign language lessons with Koko until 1973.

From there, Penny moved Koko to Stanford University to continue her experiments, which were the subject of scrutiny, with many experts refuting Penny's claims that Koko "spoke" sign language.

It was at the reserve where Koko had what many consider her most famous interaction with comedian Robin Williams in 2001.

"We shared something extraordinary — laughter," Robin said. "It was awesome and unforgettable." When Robin died in 2014, the Gorilla Foundation shared that "she became very sad" when Koko learned the news.

Sadly, Koko would also pass away just four years later at age 46.

"The impact has been profound, and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world," The Gorilla Foundation said at the time of her death.

Following her death, a video went viral, reportedly broadcasting Koko's last words to the world.

Often shared as Koko's final message to humanity, there is a video of Koko signing the following words:

"I am gorilla. I am flowers, animals, I am nature. Man Koko love. Earth Koko love, but man stupid. Koko sorry, Koko cry. Time hurry. Fix Earth! Help Earth! Hurry! Protect Earth... Nature see you."

However, it turns out that the video was recorded for a public service announcement for COP21, and Koko had a script.

While Koko's final words may never be known, she reportedly understood the concept of death.

In a 2015 interview with The Atlantic, Penny explained that Koko had a conversation with another caretaker about death.

"The caregiver showed Koko a skeleton and asked, 'Is this alive or dead?' Koko signed, 'Dead, draped.' 'Draped' means 'covered up.' Then the caregiver asked, 'Where do animals go when they die?' Koko said, 'A comfortable hole.' Then she gave a kiss goodbye," Francine said.

Following her death, the Science journal perfectly captured Koko's impact on the world, writing that she "helped transform how the human world viewed animal emotion—and intelligence."

Jane Goodall also said, "Koko, you taught us much about the gorilla intellect, and you were much loved. You will be missed."