The gorilla is famous for being able to express her emotions through sign language, even mourning the death of celebrity friend Robin Williams Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at PEOPLE.

Koko the Gorilla has died, but her memory is alive in the hearts of her fans, many of whom are celebrities. In her 46-year life, the primate met numerous famous faces (and furry ones) at her home ...

Bright eyes peered at me through a lattice of ferns. I occupied a branch of another tree, slightly downhill from the gorilla who stared at me. We were both in a forest on Mount Visoke in Rwanda ...