Dear Friend,

As we remember Koko and celebrate both her birthday and her life on July 4th, I'd like to take a moment to focus on the 3 things that Koko taught us were most important for gorillas: respect, independence and sanctuary.

Respect: Gorillas deserve our respect because they are autonomous, highly intelligent and emotional beings who are capable of living full and rich lives without our help; lives that are more integrated with Nature than our own. In their natural forest habitats, they are the ones who spread the seeds that keep the forest thriving and help lessen the effects of climate change.

We force some gorillas to live in captivity and they comply, but only because we don't give them a choice. In zoos they won’t be hunted for bushmeat, but the captive environment doesn't really accommodate their basic needs or wants. They are treated as property and bred to provide a stable population size.

Independence: Gorillas deserve more independence in zoos. Allowing gorillas to explore new things and express their autonomy, by giving them choices, should be required in captive settings along with outdoor time. Currently there are no requirements for gorillas in zoos to spend time outside, and at least 2 US zoos don’t even have outdoor space available for their gorillas.

We would like to help change this. We want to use what we have learned from gorillas Koko, Michael and Ndume to improve captive conditions for gorillas everywhere.

Sanctuary: Gorillas in the wild need and deserve sanctuary because they are being threatened by extinction through illegal bushmeat hunting, habitat destruction and human disease transmission. Protected habitat in Africa is currently the best solution to this problem, and we support that.

However, at many zoos, gorillas also deserve sanctuary, as they spend the majority of their time in holding spaces that consist of cement floors with metal mesh, and their only time outdoors is spent with strange visitors.

Gorillas in captivity should live in a more natural environment, free from frequent observers. At most zoos, their only outdoor time is spent in public view. But gorillas like Ndume do not like to be visited by strangers and if given the choice would spend their outdoor time largely out of public view.

Respect, Independence, and Sanctuary are very big goals, each with their own set of challenges.

How do we achieve them?

Fortunately, Koko also provided us with the solution — interspecies communication — allowing gorillas and humans to connect in ways that increase mutual empathy and understanding. This is good news for gorillas, humans and even for Nature.

Here's how The Gorilla Foundation is applying Koko's solution to give gorillas more respect, independence and sanctuary, while simultaneously inspiring our children to become Voices for Nature — through the following four Koko legacy programs:

Koko's Legacy Programs and Progress

KokoArc

KokoArc is The Gorilla Foundation's digital archival project to preserve, analyze and share thousands of hours of video and research documentation generated during 5 decades of Project Koko, the longest-running interspecies communication study in history, and the only one involving gorillas.

We have now digitized over 500 hours of video content, out of approximately 2000 hours of total footage, and we are beginning to catalog and code this data, which may take another few years to complete. The result will provide valuable insight into both the basic and special needs and wants of gorillas.

KokoApp

The KokoApp is a mechanism for transmitting Koko's sign language (ASL), and the insights gained about gorillas through interspecies communication, to the maximum number of people and gorillas — including those living in African gorilla habitat countries.

By selectively installing content from KokoArc, including Koko's complete sign language vocabulary (demonstrated by both Koko and me), people will have access to the tools and lessons of interspecies communication in their pockets. And the app can be used to crowd-source the translation of natural gorilla gestures.

We have found a prospective partner to implement the KokoApp and expect to have a prototype ready later this year, with your help.

Kids4Koko

Kids love Koko, and Koko loved kids. In order to inspire kids to sustain Koko's legacy, we've created the Kids4Koko network at koko.org. Kids4Koko enables kids to learn sign language, to paint, to read Koko's books, and to contribute to great ape conservation by participating in Zoom calls with Gorilla Foundation staff and other gorilla experts.

To date, we've implemented a preliminary version of Kids4Koko, and conducted Zoom interviews with a small number of kids and experts. We plan to extend this dramatically, and accelerate growth of the Kids4Koko network once the KokoApp is ready.

Koko Cares

KokoCares is a two-fold program that focuses on 1) specific and immediate ways to improve conditions for gorillas in captivity (especially zoos) and 2) the design of gorilla sanctuaries both within and external to conventional zoos.

We are currently formulating a comprehensive proposal for how zoos can improve the lives of gorillas, while maintaining a healthy business model.

And we are redesigning the Maui Sanctuary, using our 71 acre leased site (which is available for at least another 35 years) to give gorillas the kind of free-living experience that they might enjoy in their natural habitat.

We’ll have more to report on both of these projects later this year.

HOW YOU CAN HELP 

Many of you have already contributed to our mission, and enabled us to make the progress outlined above — and you have my profound gratitude for that!  Now we need your help to make significant progress on the above programs in 2022.  Please donate now ...

and help us fulfill Koko's Legacy!

With love and thanks for your ongoing support,

The Gorilla Foundation     PO Box 620530,  Woodside, CA  94062
1-800-ME-GO-APE     [email protected]
The Gorilla Foundation is a 501(c) Nonprofit
Federal Tax ID: 942.38.6151