Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea spent some time this weekend with one of his fans: Koko, the female western lowland gorilla who communicates using American Sign Language (ASL).
“This is just the greatest thing that could ever happen. This is the day that I will never forget in my life,” Flea says in a video of the visit posted on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ YouTube channel.
As Flea lays alongside her, 45-year-old Koko strums and pluck his bass guitar at her home in Woodside, California.
Flea posted several images and videos from the visit on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, included below. The second video comes courtesy of BassGuruApp’s Twitter feed.
Koko gained fame for learning a modified version of ASL. She has reportedly learned more than 1,000 signs and knows approximately 2,000 English words, according to the non-profit Gorilla Foundation’s website.
The foundation, which supports Koko, wrote on its site, “One of Koko’s favorite musicians, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers came to visit. Koko was thrilled by the mellow sounds and a jamming session followed with Koko strumming on Flea’s bass!”
The foundation also promised there is more to come: “Watch for more news on future collaborations between the two.”
A photo posted by @sllollaryee on Aug 19, 2016 at 9:34am PDT
What I needed was one of these bad ass koko shirts! https://www.bonfirefunds.com/kokos-team
A photo posted by @sllollaryee on Aug 19, 2016 at 12:00pm PDT
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