The Koko Guardians Program
Along the border of Cameroon and Nigeria live fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas — the rarest and most endangered gorilla subspecies on Earth.
Most people have heard of mountain gorillas, whose numbers have increased significantly through decades of intensive conservation. Western and eastern lowland gorillas are far more numerous, although they continue to face devastating losses from habitat destruction and the illegal bushmeat trade.
Cross River gorillas, by contrast, have received far less public attention.
The Gorilla Foundation is working to change that.
We have partnered with Community-Based Biosynergy Management (CBBM) in Cameroon to monitor and protect Cross River gorillas and help ensure that the remaining population can not only survive, but ultimately grow.
At the heart of this effort are the Koko Guardians — members of local communities who are learning about the extraordinary intelligence, emotions and social lives of gorillas.
Using the Koko Signs app, videos of Koko and Michael communicating through sign language, and stories such as Koko’s Kitten and Michael’s Dream, local educators help build something essential to conservation: empathy.
When people come to understand gorillas as intelligent, sensitive beings with families, personalities and emotions, protecting them becomes personal.
A select group of Koko Guardians also become Koko Rangers, working directly in the forests where Cross River gorillas live. They search for signs of gorilla activity, deploy and monitor camera traps, document where gorillas are living, contribute to population surveys, and help keep both the gorillas and their habitat safe.
Partnership Model
CBBM was established in Southwest Cameroon in 2022 by Dr. Denis Ndeloh, whose relationship with The Gorilla Foundation began more than two decades ago.
In 2000, The Gorilla Foundation provided Dr. Ndeloh with a grant to help him complete his doctoral research on Cross River gorilla conservation. Today, he is an experienced leader in conservation, community development and education — and an important partner in our shared goal of securing the long-term survival of Cross River gorillas.
Our work currently focuses on Cameroon while complementing the efforts of organizations working to protect Cross River gorillas in neighboring Nigeria.
The Gorilla Foundation brings a distinctive approach to this challenge: Conservation through Communication.
By applying the lessons, stories and extraordinary communication legacy of Koko and Michael, we can help communities see gorillas differently — and inspire people living closest to them to become their strongest protectors.
Our goal is to expand this model throughout the Cross River gorilla range so that, ultimately, the entire subspecies can benefit.
Current Status
We are currently focusing on three important forest areas on the Cameroon side of the border with Nigeria:
Mawambi Hills, Mt. Oko and Mone Forest.
We estimate that roughly 75 Cross River gorillas live within these areas.
With additional support, we can expand the Koko Guardians Program to the remaining Cross River gorilla forests in Cameroon — helping protect approximately 200 of the fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas still surviving in the wild.
Every forest we reach means more monitoring, more local guardians, better information about where the gorillas are living, and a greater chance of keeping them safe.
How You Can Help
We need to expand our outreach to more Cross River gorilla forests and communities in order to protect the entire endangered subspecies. We welcome individuals, organizations and conservation partners who would like to help us protect the world’s rarest gorillas.
If you have questions, ideas, expertise to share, or would like to support the Koko Guardians Program, please contact us:
