Dear Friend,

First, thank you. Your interest in Koko and our mission of Conservation through Communication means the world to me!

For over 45 years, I had the extraordinary privilege of working with Koko — a gorilla who learned to communicate with us through sign language.

She didn’t just change my life — she changed how the world sees gorillas: as intelligent, emotional beings with a deep capacity for love, empathy, and connection.

Now, we have a chance to use Koko’s legacy to save all gorillas from extinction.

This Earth Day, I invite you to watch a short video of children in a remote village in southeast Cameroon using the Koko Signs app at the world’s first Koko Compassionate Conservation Camp. These children live on the outskirts of a forest inhabited by the critically endangered western lowland gorillas.

Your Earth Day gift will help us:

1) Deliver the Koko Signs app to more gorilla habitats across Africa — empowering children and adults to connect with gorillas as thinking, feeling beings.

2) Create a compassionate conservation curriculum — using Koko and Michael’s sign language stories to spark empathy and inspire local action.

3) Empower community-led protection for Cross River gorillas — the most endangered gorilla subspecies on Earth, with fewer than 300 remaining in the wild.

Koko showed us what’s possible when we give gorillas a voice.
Let’s honor her legacy — and protect all gorillas, before it’s too late.

or:

and receive a Koko Plush as a thank you gift.

Please join me this Earth Day — and help turn Koko’s vision for gorillas into reality.

“Poachers won’t be able to kill gorillas after using the Koko Signs App” — Baka Elder

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Conservation through Communication

The Gorilla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our Federal Tax ID is: 942-38-6151