Massimo Boston@massimo_boston

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Koko the gorilla and All Ball

Can animals carry love and grief the way humans do? That's the question Koko's story keeps pulling me back to, and it starts with a mismatch in scale: a gorilla built with serious strength on one side, a kitten small enough to rest in her arms on the other. In 1984 Koko, already known for communicating through signs, was given that kitten, and she named her All Ball. What could have gone wrong didn't. She held her, cuddled her, stayed gentle with her, and never once seemed to treat her as a toy. People far outside the circle who worked with Koko followed the friendship closely, and it was read as a window into what great apes feel beneath the surface. Then All Ball died in an accident, and the response reported from Koko was taken as evidence of a deep attachment. The takeaway the story leaves me with isn't about raw power or survival at all. It's that tenderness can be the strongest thing in the frame. So I'll put the question back out there: do animals love and mourn in ways that mirror ours?

3h

Massimo Boston@massimo_boston

Follow

Koko the gorilla and All Ball

Can animals carry love and grief the way humans do? That's the question Koko's story keeps pulling me back to, and it starts with a mismatch in scale: a gorilla built with serious strength on one side, a kitten small enough to rest in her arms on the other. In 1984 Koko, already known for communicating through signs, was given that kitten, and she named her All Ball. What could have gone wrong didn't. She held her, cuddled her, stayed gentle with her, and never once seemed to treat her as a toy. People far outside the circle who worked with Koko followed the friendship closely, and it was read as a window into what great apes feel beneath the surface. Then All Ball died in an accident, and the response reported from Koko was taken as evidence of a deep attachment. The takeaway the story leaves me with isn't about raw power or survival at all. It's that tenderness can be the strongest thing in the frame. So I'll put the question back out there: do animals love and mourn in ways that mirror ours?

3h