``She was really relaxed,'' said Koko's handler and interpreter, Penny Patterson. ``She was being thoughtful. She was really thinking about these questions.''

During her chat session, Koko sat in the kitchen area of her dwelling at the gorilla foundation's Woodside facilities, south of San Francisco. Patterson signed the questions and comments to Koko, who has a 500-word sign language vocabulary, according to the foundation. Koko's attention wandered as she played with her toy alligator. After 45 minutes, she lost all interest and began playing with her dolls.

But at times she was responsive enough to impress her cyberspace interlocutors. She even received a marriage proposal, to which she did not respond.

Whenquestioned about her favourite beverage, Koko responded with ``apple drink.'' She also was asked about her pet cats, her dreams and her human companions. Koko responded with occasional sign language and grunts, Ms. Patterson said.

``Eat now,'' Koko signed to Ms. Patterson when the gorilla was asked whether she was hungry. ``Red red,'' Koko said when she wanted to play with a red hair tie.

``Foot,'' Koko replied when asked about a male human.