Voice of Nature | New Kittens | Royal Portrait | Koko | TGF | Kittens | Empathy | Forgiveness
Family | Koko wants a Baby | Michael | Koko & Betty White | Koko & Robin Williams
Koko helped us create this 1-minute PSA for the 2015 COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris.
While the PSA is edited, Koko is truly disturbed that other animals are endangered by humans.
Koko is a natural nurturer. Here she bonds with 2 new kittens, Ms. Gray and Ms. Black
(after several years without a kitten companion, and 3 decades since her first kitten, All Ball).
UK royal portrait artist, Richard Stone, is interviewed about his recent painting of Koko.
30-sec. Public Service Announcement introducing Koko, who makes a plea for all gorillas.
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Project Koko begain in 1972 and evolved into the Gorilla Foundation in 1976, whose
mission is to learn about gorillas by communicating with them, and to apply this knowledge
to advance great ape conservation, education, care, wellness and empathy.
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The true story of Koko and her first kitten, All Ball, became the subject of a children's book,
Koko's Kitten, which has been used in schools worldwide to motivate conservation, reading & signing.
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Koko requests a return visit from a kitten that she named "Tiger." Koko and Tiger play, and Koko gives
Tiger both a plush kitten toy and a piece of fake cake as gestures of affection.
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Koko responds to a movie that she has watched several times before. When it comes to the
sad part, Koko turns away, and begins signing about the story and how it makes her feel.
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Koko signs to Penny that she is hungry and wants an apple drink, which Penny forgot.
Koko makes up for being a little cranky earlier by forgiving Penny and signing "Penny Kiss."
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Koko wants to have a more traditional gorilla family and raise a baby (most likely
by adoption). Here Koko signs to Penny about one of her dearest wishes.
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Koko selects from 4 different scenarios that might result in her raising a baby gorilla and selects "two young female gorillas come to establish a more natural family group, with Koko and Ndume,
This is a very practical option for anumber of reasons.
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Koko molds an orangutan plush doll to sign "drink." She often treats her ape dolls as if
they were babies, which is an indication of both: a) how much she wants to raise a baby, and
b) that she would probably teach a baby sign language, without any help from her human caregivers.
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Penny teaches Koko the sign for "butterfly" after showing her a picture of one on a decorated linen.
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Gorilla Michael was born in Africa and came to live with Koko when he was 3 years old and Koko was 4.
He learned to become an articulate signer and a prolific painter. Amazingly, when asked about his mother,
Michael recounted a story that indicates he may have been an eye-witness to the bushmeat trade.
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Celebrity actress and animal rights advocate Betty White met Koko in 2005 and they have been close friends ever since. This is a preview of their first meeting. Soon after, Betty White volunteered to join The Gorilla Foundaiton's Board of Directors — and she remains and active board member.
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The late Robin Williams came to meet Koko in 2001 and they had an extraordinary interaction. Both laughed uncontrollably, and Koko for the first time in many months — since her best gorilla friend, Michael, passed away. When Koko heard of Robin's passing in 2014 she became very said.
Robin was a special friend to her and Koko never forgets her friends.
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