Voting Station

Koko

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Animal

The Resume

    (July 4, 1971-June 19, 2018)
    Birth name is Hanabi-Ko (Japanese for Fireworks Child)
    Learned American Sign Language
    Taken care of by the Koko Foundation

Why she might be annoying:

    There is no real proof that Koko understands what the signs mean as she is taught through operant conditioning.
    She demanded to see the nipples of female caregivers, once invoking a sexual harassment lawsuit.
    Other apes have learned sign language before her.
    Other apes know more signs, or understand more spoken words.
    She calls herself 'fine animal person gorilla' and doesn't like to associate with non-signing gorillas.
    She is often moody and destructive.
    On Seinfeld, George's nickname when he worked for Kruger, was Koko.

Why she might not be annoying:

    She learned over 1000 signs in American Sign Language.
    She is able to combine sign for new meanings.
    She can understand some spoken English.
    She is the only non-human known to keep other species as pets. She has two cats.
    She participated in a web-chat through a sign language interpreter with over 20,000 people.
    She has a blog.
    Many documentaries have been made about her.
    Her companion, another signing gorilla named Michael, died in 2000.
    She is kept in an institution and rarely allowed outside.

Credit: Lorg Skyegon


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 13 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 105 Votes: 43.81% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 25 Votes: 32.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 23 Votes: 8.70% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 144 Votes: 49.31% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 440 Votes: 48.18% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 12.50% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 30 Votes: 43.33% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 54.17% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 103 Votes: 52.43% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 332 Votes: 45.48% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 187 Votes: 54.01% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 159 Votes: 37.11% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 55 Votes: 38.18% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 584 Votes: 43.49% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 633 Votes: 40.28% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 1273 Votes: 40.77% Annoying