Dear Friend,

What does it mean to love someone you’ve never met?

The video above opens with four views from the Lesio-Louna Reserve in the Republic of Congo.  These clips offer a glimpse of the landscape where we are now planning the MaKoko Gorilla Sanctuary.

As the video moves in closer to each scene, I am reminded that this vision begins with a real place — one already inhabited by gorillas moving through forest and savannah.

At the end, I show Koko a photograph of a gorilla she had never met. Koko looks at the image and signs, “Gorilla Koko-love.”

To me, it reflects Koko’s sense of connection not only to the gorillas in her own life, but to gorillas more broadly.

That same spirit continues to guide our work. MaKoko is being shaped by what Koko helped us understand about gorillas and the care they deserve.

With Koko love,

Penny Patterson
President, CEO and Founder
The Gorilla Foundation / koko.org

Conservation through Communication

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