Editing Koko (gorilla) (section)

===Nipple fixation and lawsuit===
Like other apes raised by humans ([[Lucy (chimpanzee)|Lucy]], [[Washoe (chimpanzee)|Washoe]]), Koko did not develop the sexual instincts of an ape raised in the wild. According to Patterson, she developed several crushes on human men. For example, Koko "maintained a near-constant vigil by the trailer window" when a favorite workman was expected to show—and blew him kisses after he arrived.<ref>Patterson and Linden (1981) p. 176</ref>  Though Patterson secured male gorillas [[Michael (gorilla)|Michael]] and [[Ndume]] for Koko to mate with, she was not sexually interested in them. (As a result, Ndume was caged separately, in isolation.)

Koko was reported to have a preoccupation with human [[nipple]]s, likely a result of her disconnect from other gorillas. In 2005, three female staff members at The Gorilla Foundation, where Koko resided, filed lawsuits against the organization, alleging that they were pressured to reveal their nipples to Koko by the organization's executive director, [[Francine Patterson]], among other violations of [[Labour law|labor law]].  The lawsuit alleged that in response to signing from Koko, Patterson pressured Keller and Alperin (two of the female staff) to flash the ape. "Oh, yes, Koko, Nancy has nipples. Nancy can show you her nipples," Patterson reportedly said on one occasion. And on another: "Koko, you see my nipples all the time. You are probably bored with my nipples. You need to see new nipples. I will turn my back so Kendra can show you her nipples."<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2018 |title=The Real Meaning of Koko's Purported Nipple Fetish |url=https://slate.com/technology/2018/06/koko-the-ape-obituaries-are-overlooking-her-nipple-fetish-and-other-important-things.html |access-date=June 13, 2022 |website=slate.com}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, a third woman filed suit, alleging that upon being first introduced to Koko, Patterson told her that Koko was communicating that she wanted to see the woman's nipples, pressuring her to submit to Koko's demands and informing her that "everyone does it for her around here." When the woman briefly lifted her t-shirt, flashing her undergarments, Patterson admonished the woman and reiterated that Koko wanted to see her nipples. When the woman relented and showed her breasts to Koko, Patterson commented "Oh look, Koko, she has big nipples." On another occasion, one of the gorilla's handlers told the woman that Koko wanted to be alone with her. When the woman went to Koko's enclosure, Koko began to squat and breathe heavily.<ref name="Yollin 2018b">{{Cite news |last=Yollin |first=Patricia |date=February 26, 2005 |title=Ex-worker is third to sue over gorilla / Woman says she had to show her breasts to Koko |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/PENINSULA-Ex-worker-is-third-to-sue-over-2727427.php |access-date=August 16, 2018}}</ref> The lawsuits were [[Settlement (litigation)|settled]] out of court.<ref name="Weiner 2005">{{Cite magazine |last=Weiner |first=Jody |date=July 2005 |title=Hot Koko |url=http://ww2.callawyer.com/clstory.cfm?pubdt=200507&eid=734304&evid=1 |url-status=dead |magazine=California Lawyer |page=80 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816175052/http://ww2.callawyer.com/clstory.cfm?pubdt=200507&eid=734304&evid=1 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |access-date=August 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Weiner 2006">{{Cite book |last=Weiner |first=Jody |title=Kinship with Animals |publisher=Council Oak |year=2006 |isbn=9781571781895 |editor-last=Solisti |editor-first=Kate |location=San Francisco/Tulsa |pages=[https://archive.org/details/kinshipwithanima00mich/page/182 182]–188 |chapter=Hot Koko & the Fetching Cat |editor-last2=Tobias |editor-first2=Michael |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/kinshipwithanima00mich |chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="Yollin 2018a">{{Cite news |last=Yollin |first=Patricia |date=February 18, 2005 |title=Gorilla Foundation rocked by breast display lawsuit / Former employees say they were told to expose chests |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-MATEO-COUNTY-Gorilla-Foundation-rocked-by-2729786.php |access-date=August 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name="BBC NEWS 2005">{{Cite news |date=February 20, 2005 |title='Gorilla breast fetish' women sue |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4280961.stm |access-date=August 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Yollin 2018b" /><ref name="The Age 2005">{{Cite web |last=Agence France-Presse |author-link=Agence France-Presse |date=February 21, 2005 |title=Gorilla with a nipple fetish |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/gorilla-with-a-nipple-fetish-20050221-gdzmzj.html |access-date=August 16, 2018 |website=The Age}}</ref><ref name="The Inquisitr 2015">{{Cite web |last=D. |first=Shayla |date=October 15, 2015 |title=Koko The Gorilla Celebrates 44th Birthday With Two Cute And Cuddly Gifts |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/2497772/koko-the-gorilla-celebrates-44th-birthday-with-two-cute-and-cuddly-gifts-video/ |access-date=August 16, 2018 |website=The Inquisitr}}</ref>

When asked to comment on the matter, gorilla expert Kristen Lukas<!-- Seems notable --> said that other gorillas are not known to have had a similar nipple fixation.<ref name="Yollin 2018a" /> A former caregiver stated that Patterson would interpret the sign for "nipple" as a sound-alike, "people", when notable donors were present.<ref name=":0" />