Koko the ape 'saddened' to learn of Robin Williams' death

A great ape that communicates through sign language was saddened to learn of the death of comedian Robin Williams, who the primate met ten years ago.

The recently deceased Oscar winner met Koko at the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, California in 2004 and the pair hit it off, tickling one another and embracing in a touching encounter that was captured on film.

When news broke of the 63-year-old actor's untimely death the foundation's president and Koko's foster mother Dr Penny Patterson communicated the tragic news to Koko using sign language.

The animal, which knows more than 1000 signs, reportedly signed the words for "woman" and "crying".

"Koko was quiet and looked very thoughtful," the foundation said in a press release.

"Koko became very sombre, with her head bowed and her lip quivering."

Williams described his encounter with Koko as "unforgettable" and later filmed a public service announcement with the ape to raise awareness of environmental threats to the species.

Robin Williams was found dead in his California home yesterday.

Police have confirmed that the actor died from asphyxiation by hanging.

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Source: Gorilla Foundation

Author: Martin Zavan, Approving editor: Simon Black