Humans have been searching for the point of difference between ourselves and other animal species for centuries. Most recently, it was suggested that one of the decisive factors was language. Conversely, a study published by Fourth Estate in 1993 entitled The Great Ape Project; Equality Beyond Humanity contained a piece by Dr. Francine Patterson and Wendy Gordon called The Case for the Personhood of Gorillas. This article was based on research gathered when working with a pair of lowland gorillas called Koko and Michael . This work contained evidence which suggested that being self-aware and having language was not an experience exclusive to humans. ‘Francine Patterson has been communicating with Koko for twenty years’ (Patterson & Gordon 1993,
