Meet Koko
Meet Koko

Saving gorillas from extinction and captivity
guided by interspecies communication.

Conservation through Communication

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Mission


The Gorilla Foundation is best known for conducting the longest interspecies communication study in history (almost 5 decades) and the only one involving gorillas: Project Koko.  Our mission, Conservation through Communication applies the results and lessons of interspecies communication (with gorillas Koko, Michael and Ndume) to save gorillas from extinction in the wild, dramatically improve their care in captivity, and continue our exciting dialogue with Nature.  Everyone can learn to sign, and all gorillas are Kokos, and these 2 realizations make saving the great apes both a worthwhile and highly reachable goal.  Click here for a summary of our Mission-based Programs.

PROGRAMS

Who is Koko?
MaKoko Sanctuary
KokoCares
Giving gorillas a path back to Nature
Koko Educational Products
KokoConnects
Koko Signs App, Koko's Kitten Books, The Education of Koko, & Documentaries
Koko Guardians for Cross River Gorillas
KokoProtects
Protecting the world's rarest gorilla subspecies, along the border of Cameroon and Nigeria.

Progress

Kids4Koko

Koko Archive

News & Events

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Koko has given humanity the gift of “talking with the animals” for more than four decades now.

It’s time for other gorillas to
learn from Koko…

They can all be Voices for Nature!

All Gorillas are Kokos

Koko passed away in her sleep on June 18, 2018 just 2 weeks before her 47th birthday on July 4th. She lived a full and loving life, and has been mourned by millions of people around the world — a process that continues to this day.

Honoring Koko

5th grade teacher

“When we think of saving the Earth, we can't help but think of Koko!"

A 6-year old boy

“All gorillas are Kokos”

You Can Help!

The Gorilla Foundation’s efforts to give captive gorillas more freedom, and save free-living gorillas from extinction are largely supported by individual donors like you.  Please consider making a donation — one-time or monthly — by using the orange Donate button below.  Or use the blue Shop button to purchase some of our exclusive educational products, like Koko books, plush dolls or limited edition “gorilla art” prints of the amazing paintings created by Koko and Michael.

If you need more information before donating or shopping, simply Subscribe to our weekly Koko Video eNewsletter to learn more about why we do what we do and how.  Or email us your questions via the Contact Us button below.

We’re beginning our 6th decade of an interspecies communication journey that is continuing to achieve “Conservation through Communication” — Koko’s Legacy — on an increasing basis!

Gorillas are more like us than we ever imagined, and by helping them we are helping ourselves by allowing our incredibly enlightening interspecies dialogue to continue.

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Learn how Koko's life teaches us how to conserve nature.