(CNN) Koko, the gorilla who mastered sign language and showed the world what great apes can do, has died.

She died Tuesday in her sleep at age 46, The Gorilla Foundation said in a statement.

"Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy," the release said. "She was beloved and will be deeply missed."

She learned to communicate at a young age

The western lowland gorilla was born at the San Francisco Zoo in 1971 and began to learn sign language early in life.

Read More