Dear Friend,
It has been nearly 3 months since Koko left us — and most days are still hard for me. But the outpouring of love and support from our community has given me great comfort.
We at The Gorilla Foundation are fully committed to carrying on our work and realizing Koko’s legacy. That is why I'm writing you today asking for your generous support. Let me explain:
My dedicated staff and I are as committed as ever to achieving conservation and care through communication. Signing with Koko was life-changing for me and so many others. Giving gorillas a voice made it obvious that we CAN stop the slide of gorillas into extinction — and that we CAN dramatically improve their lives in captivity. But we can’t do it without your help.
We have a new strategic plan – dedicated to expanding interspecies communication for the benefit of both captive and free-living gorillas. It consists of the following 3 key programs:
| 1)ect Koko |
Interspecies Communication 2.0
Gorillas who have spent their lives interacting with humans — either at zoos, or in sanctuaries like ours — deserve to be able to communicate clearly with their caregivers about their needs and wants, and to let the world know that their species is worthy of saving from extinction.
We are building on over 40 years of unique interspecies communication data, knowledge and staff expertise, to continue advancing our ability to "talk" with great apes, and provide a service to anyone interested in great ape welfare. |
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| 2)ect Koko |
The Koko Signing App
Folks have been asking us for years to put sign language and gorilla natural gestures in the palm of their hand, with Koko as the teacher. We have now developed a prototype to do just that, and this year we need your support to turn the prototype into a product — one that can be used by schools, zoos, sanctuaries, and to promote conservation.
In addition to looking up Koko's (and your) favorite signs, the app will include some of our most powerful videos and e-books, such as Koko's Kitten and Michael's Dream, and a new children's book, A Wish for Koko, recently written as a tribute to Koko. The embedded e-books and videos will link to Koko signing videos to accelerate sign language comprehension.
Moreover, other institutions will be able to upload videos of their gorillas signing and gesturing for a collaborative learning experience, and to foster many new gorilla ambassadors worldwide. |
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| 3) |
Supporting New Gorilla Sanctuaries
For some time, we have been planning to further develop and expand the 70 acres of land we have leased on Maui, as a climatically appropriate gorilla sanctuary. We are now focusing on optimizing the design, using state-of-the-art features to make the sanctuary a resource for those gorillas in captivity who are not suited to zoo life.
We are also working to partner with and support selected African sanctuaries whose managers see the benefits of our communication tools, and of using interactive video to educate and inspire those living in gorillla habitat countries, and create worldwide empathy. |
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I hope you’ll help us boldly move forward with these vital programs and support Koko’s legacy with the most generous gift you can afford.
As always, I am ever grateful for your compassion and your support!
With eternal Koko-love,
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Penny Patterson, Ph.D.
President and Director of Research
The Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org
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