Watch a gorilla rock out on the guitar

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Friday, September 30, 2016
Watch a gorilla play bass guitar
Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea visited Koko the gorilla and let her play with his instrument.

This gorilla knows her way around a bass guitar.

Koko the gorilla was quick to show her musical side when she got a visit from Flea, the bassist from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Once she saw Flea pick at the guitar, Koko snatched the guitar as if wanting a turn.

After some coaxing from Flea, Koko started to strum. Though the sound was not quite as musical as that produced by the professional musician, Flea was clearly impressed, saying, "She gets it."

The fun jam session was put together by The Gorilla Foundation, a nonprofit in Woodside, Calif., dedicated to gorilla preservation that also works to increase interspecies communication. Koko, the project's spokesperson, has learned to sign more than 1,000 words in the past forty years, according to the foundation.