CUTE ALERT: Sign language-speaking gorilla Koko gets kittens for 44th birthday

CALIFORNIA -- A famous gorilla's maternal instincts immediately kicked in when she saw a litter of kittens.

Koko, the silverback gorilla who can communicate with sign language, celebrated her 44th birthday by meeting her new family.

The staff at The Gorilla Foundation in California said Koko let them know through sign language that she wanted to have babies of her own, so when they introduced her to the, kittens it was love at first sight.

She even directed the staff to put them on her head.