Koko opens a gift on her 38th birthday, which she celebrated on the Fourth of July. Spicy bean curd was part of her party. Photo credit: Copyright Ron Cohn / The Gorilla Foundation / koko.org

From New York City to Seattle, residents throughout the United States marked the Fourth of July on Saturday with patriotism, fireworks, cookouts and naturalization ceremonies.

It was the country’s 233rd birthday.

But Koko, the famous gorilla who uses American Sign Language to communicate with humans, gathered with friends in California for her 38th birthday, The Gorilla Foundation announced.

As part of her special day, she dined on Vietnamese tofu curry, sushi, vegetarian hot dogs and gelatin salad, all items that she requested, the organization reported Saturday.

The lowland gorilla opened gifts and communicated three wishes to Penny Patterson, foundation co-founder and president: To have her own baby or to adopt one, to live in a larger reserve on Maui and to have more people understand the plight of gorillas, which are endangered.

Koko has an American Sign Language vocabulary of more than 1,300 words. She also understands spoken English, according to the foundation.

In Japanese, her full name of Hanabi-Ko means “fireworks child.” She has communicated to others that she is a “fine gorilla person.”

I’m happy for Koko and the foundation. I’m also glad that she enjoys soybean cake.

It’s not a pressing matter, but I’m curious: Did Koko specifically ask for Vietnamese tofu curry?

Or did she just ask for tofu and this type of bean curd was selected?

Given that she understands so much, it is possible that she asked for this type of tofu.

And since there are numerous types of curry in the world, why does she like this Vietnamese style that is served with tofu?

Anyway, more birthday photos are here.

If you’ve never seen Koko communicate in American Sign Language, the foundation offers a 30-second video clip. You’ll need QuickTime.