Learn about the Gorilla Foundation’s mission of conservation through communication with gorillas like Koko, and our strategy of combining research, education and optimal care into a recipe for conservation. Learn more
Spanning more than 4 decades (the longest interspecies communication project in history) Project Koko has accomplished many milestones; yet there is still much critically important work to do. Learn more
Project Koko supports Education, Conservation and Care with benefits for all great apes. For example, our Education program reaches students worldwide, inspiring them to be responsible stewards of nature. Learn more
Meet gorillas Koko and Ndume, as well as the late Michael, who grew up with Koko and also learned sign language. The gorillas can be considered an extended part of our great ape Team. Learn more
The Gorilla Foundation’s financial support comes primarily from its membership base of over 40,000 donors and a few private foundations. We are now seeking major partners to advance our mission. Learn more
Since Koko’s passing in 2018, The Gorilla Foundation has streamlined its operations to prepare for “phase 2” of Project Koko — Bringing interspecies communication to the public (which includes children, zoos, sanctuaries, and the African habitats where gorillas live and face the ongoing threat of extinction). We are working overtime to maximize Koko’s Legacy, with help from both a governing and a scientific advisory board, and investing in strategic partnerships to create educational content and gorilla-centric sanctuary designs with internet-only public connectivity in order to improve the lives of captive gorillas, and protect the lives of “free-living” gorillas in Africa.
