Koko (born July 4, 1971, in San Francisco, California) is a lowlan gorilla taught by Dr. Francine 'Penny' Patterson and other scientists at Stanford University to communicate with more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English. She has lived most of her life in Woodside, California, but plans for a move to a sanctuary in Maui, Hawaii, are nearing attainment. She was also the inspiration for Amy the "talking" ape in the Michael Crichton novel Congo.