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In
this series, we share our gorilla research and care activities
with you through the following features:
1)
Caregiver Corner (what
it's like to interact and communicate with gorillas Koko, Ndume
and Michael)
2) Research Revelations
(what we're learning through interspecies communication and
what it means for humanity)
prepared
by our staff under the supervision of Dr. Penny Patterson, Director
of Research. (Journal PhotoBlog
Archive) |
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| Ndume’s Kitten – Friend or Foe? by Christa Nunes |
November 23, 2006 |
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Dr.
Francine "Penny" Patterson has a Ph.D. in Developmental
Psychology from Stanford. She is President and Research
Director of The Gorilla Foundation, and a Member
of the Board of ApeNet - a consortium of foundations
supporting the welfare of great apes through interspecies
communication. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of
"Gorilla, the journal of The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org."
"Penny's Journal" provides insight into her facinating
relationship with Koko and a way to share with us
her experiences as Koko lives, learns and communicates
"The
differences between humans and gorillas are greatly
overshadowed by what we have in common — and by
communicating with them, we can learn as much about
our own true nature as theirs." Penny Patterson |
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Ndume (left) and curious kitten (right)
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Caregiver's
Corner:
One sunny day in May 2006, senior gorilla caregiver Jill Firstenberg
brought a fluffy grey kitten to the Gorilla Foundation so Koko
could have a visit with one of her favorite animals. After Koko’s
visit with her new little friend, Jill and I thought Ndume might
like to meet the adorable kitten as well. I scooped up the tiny
ball of fur and headed into the building where Ndume was resting.
Ndume immediately stood up and ran by me from one room to another,
clearly unsettled
“It’s ok Dumes, I have a cute little kitten,”
I reasoned. Ndume wasn’t so sure; he ran back across the
rooms
“Ok, let’s go to the window first,” I said.
I stepped outside with the kitten and stood near the window.
Ndume climbed on top of a barrel and sat looking out at the
kitten. He knocked on the wall. “Do you want me to bring
the kitten in?” I asked. Ndume responded with a kiss and
a knock, showing his assent.
With the kitten still in my arms, I entered the building again.
This time we were greeted with a loud purr. I put the kitten
down, and she cautiously started exploring. Ndume came over
from across the room to get a closer look at the animal moving
around on the floor. He put his face right up to the steel mesh
that separated him from the kitten and watched intently. Ndume
purred again. He lowered his head, to the same level as the
kittens, and continued to purr. This time the kitten was the
one feeling unsettled. She backed away at first, not accustomed
to seeing a 400-pound gorilla and hearing his rumbled contentment.
She relaxed quickly and continued exploring the room, and my
lap, while Ndume looked on.
The visit lasted about 10 minutes until Ndume stood up and walked
away. The kitten and I said our goodbyes and quietly left the
room. It turned out Ndume wasn’t quite done with the visit
after all. His head popped up in the window and he kissed and
knocked as I handed the kitten back to Jill. Jill moved toward
the window with the kitten in her arms. “Do you want another
visit?” we asked. Ndume responded with a purr, a kiss,
and a knock. I took the kitten back inside for another round.
Ndume and the kitten had become friends
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Dr.
Christa Nunes is Associate Director of Research
for the Gorilla Foundation. She came to the Gorilla foundation
in 2004 with a Bachelors degree from UCLA, a Masters in
Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado
(where she led several zero gravity experiments that flew
on the Space Shuttle) and a PhD. in Bioengineering from
UCSF and UC Berkeley, After her Ph.D., Christa embarked
on a 2 year journey around the world, where she had the
opportunity to visit the SUSA gorilla family on the densely
forested Karisimbi Volcano in northern Rwanda. That experience
proved to be life altering, as Christa realized that she
wanted to dedicate herself to the conservation of these
incredible beings — which she now can do. |
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Please
email us at research_feedback@koko.org
if you have any questions, or would like to share an observation
or insight about the preceding interspecies conversations.
Your feedback can inform our research and is a vital part
of our mission.
Thank you,
Dr. Francine Penny Patterson
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