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News The Gorilla Foundation Breaks Ground for Preserve in Maui, Hawaii Koko, The Gorilla Who Communicates in American Sign Language, Will Call Hawaii Home WOODSIDE, Calif., - September 26, 2000 - The Gorilla Foundation, home of Koko, the world-renowned gorilla who communicates in human sign language, today announced the upcoming October 12, 2000 ground-breaking for The Allan G. Sanford Sanctuary, a unique refuge for this highly endangered species on west Maui, Hawaii. The highlight of the event will be a traditional Hawaiian ground-blessing. The Allan G. Sanford Sanctuary is located on 70 acres of land made available by Mary Cameron Sanford and the Maui Land and Pineapple Co. Named in honor of Mrs. Sanford's son, who died in 1990, the tropical climate of the site is similar to the natural habitat of the endangered gorillas in central Africa. Spacious housing and outdoor enclosures will offer even more suitable facilities for Koko and her companions than the present location in Northern California. The Sanctuary will be part of the Koko Preserve, which will also encompass the high-tech Koko Visitor Center, which is proposed for a location in nearby Lahaina. The Koko Visitor Center will offer opportunities for live, virtual interactions with Koko and observation of her family via virtual viewing of the Sanctuary. "We're very excited about this opportunity," said Dr. Francine "Penny" Patterson, the Gorilla Foundation's co-founder, president and research director. "The Maui site has the most suitable environment in the United States for Koko and her family to live, play and raise offspring. It will provide a safe haven and will be the first gorilla sanctuary outside Africa. The generous support we have received from Mrs. Sanford and the Maui Land and Pineapple Co. is of fundamental importance in the fight to save free-living great apes, who face extinction." "I'm delighted we can provide a sanctuary for gorillas so this endangered species can live in a natural environment," said Mary Cameron Sanford, director emeritus of the Maui Land and Pineapple Co. "Getting to know the thoughts of another intelligent species is marvelous. Koko is remarkable, and I hope that here on Maui she can have the baby she desires and possibly pass on her knowledge of sign language." The Gorilla Foundation plans on creating a premier international center on Maui with the focus of increasing public awareness about the plight of endangered species worldwide. "Koko will become very important to the Aloha State," said Hawaii State Senator Avery B. Chumbley. "Maui is proud this important Sanctuary for gorillas will be located here, and a virtual visit with Koko at the planned high-tech Visitor Center will certainly be another compelling reason for people from around the world to visit Maui." Both individual sponsors, as well as the following business sponsors, are supporting the October 12 ground-breaking event: Grand Wailea Resort and Spa, Kahului Florist, Kapalua Land Company, MC&A Inc., Ritz - Carlton Kapalua, Roberts Transportation, Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Sheila Donnelly & Associates, Shooting Star Photography, Strategy Associates, Inc. and Village Audio. About the Gorilla Foundation Founded in 1976, the Gorilla Foundation promotes study and preservation of gorillas and other endangered primates. "Project Koko," a primary focus of the Gorilla Foundation, involves gaining insights into the mind of another species through language. For more information, visit www.koko.org or write The Gorilla Foundation, Box 620530, Woodside, CA 94062. For more information, contact: Kevin Connelly The Gorilla Foundation Tel. 650-216-6450 x12 kevin@koko.org Deborah Kurfiss The Gorilla Foundation Tel. 650-216-6450 x16 deborah@koko.org |
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