Dear Friend,
About a year ago, six men from communities near Cameroon’s Mawambi Hills, several of them former hunters, traded snares for GPS units and camera traps.
They were trained to track and protect the Cross River gorilla, one of the rarest animals on Earth. Fewer than 300 are believed to remain in the wild.
In May, one of our cameras caught two gorillas moving unhurried along a fallen log, eating fruit from a wild Sorindeia tree, a rainforest relative of the mango and cashew known for its sweet, bright-colored fruit clusters.
Since October, the Guardians have logged more than 112 days on patrol, and poaching in the forest has measurably dropped.
They’ve also brought Koko’s story home, using the Koko App and gorilla sign language to teach more than 100 children and neighbors about the gorillas sharing their forest.
Because of what’s worked in Mawambi Hills, we’re not stopping there. The groundwork is already underway to expand into two new forested areas, Mbulu-Mt. Oku and Batambe, with patrols beginning this August.
None of this happens without you. Thank you for standing with these gorillas who are now being watched over so carefully.
With Koko love,
Penny Patterson
President, CEO and Founder
The Gorilla Foundation / koko.org
Conservation through Communication
The Gorilla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our Federal Tax ID is: 942-38-6151
