Koko the gorilla uses sign language to adopt two kittens

Koko the gorilla is famous for having learned a number of hand signs to help her communicate with her caregivers.

So when she was introduced to a box full of kittens she told her trainers, in the only way she knew how, that she wanted the kittens to be her babies.

In the adorable video recently released by The Gorilla Foundation in Redwood City, California, Koko is seen kissing and cuddling a baby doll before being introduced to a litter of kittens.

Koko loves babies but hasn’t been able to have a baby of her own as “gorilla babies are hard to come by,” according to the video.

So for her 44th birthday this past summer, she finally got her wish and adopted two kittens, named Ms. Gray and Mr. Black.

At an early age, Koko has learned to use signs to express herself and understands the spoken English language. To date, she is able to gesture more than 1,000 hand signs and understands about 2,000 words.

At one point in the video, Koko told her caregivers that she wanted to be a mother. She made the sign for ‘cat’ followed by a sign for ‘baby,’ telling her trainers that she wanted the kittens to be her babies. She also gestured for one of the kittens to be placed on top of her head.

Back in 1983, Koko got her first kitten when she was about 12-years-old. The kitten, which Koko named All Ball, was hit by a car six months later. She grieved for All Ball by using signs for “cry,” “frown,” “sad” and “trouble.”

But since the adoption, Ms. Gray and Ms. Black have changed Koko’s life.

“Her new extended ‘family’ is energizing Koko,” The Gorilla Foundation wrote in a newsletter. “With Koko’s new kitten adoptions, she couldn’t be happier. She is signing more than ever.”