Dear Friend,
As we were looking through our newly digitized archival footage (KokoArc), we found some wonderful clips of gorillas Koko and MIchael enjoying their large outdoor yard — the space, the foliage, the play equipment, the weather and each other — and we thought it would be nice to share some of it with you.
This is a change in tone from our usual KokoArc video footage which normally focuses on some aspect of interspecies communication. But the gorillas' environment gives context to the kinds of things they communicate about, and a large, natural habitat, monitored by loving caregivers, without the stress of unfamiliar visitors, creates a comfort level that makes interspecies communication fun and even enlightening, when it does occur.
Video Summary:
"MICHAEL AND KOKO OUTDOORS"
In the above 3-minute video, we feature Koko's love of painting. She painted and sketched throughout most of her life and was able to provide insight into her work by naming each piece herself. She had an incredible memory; for example, she was able to paint “Long Life” and “Bird”, which were based on a Chinese symbol refrigerator magnet, and an actual bluebird friend, respectively, without having either model in front of her while painting.
Also, as you can see in the above video, Koko wasn’t always happy with her work, and while she didn't always create beautiful paintings, she didn't give up, and went on to produce some real masterpieces (as did her foster brother Michael).
Koko's most popular art prints are “Love” — the result of Penny asking Koko to paint love, and “Pink Pink Stink Nice Drink” — based on a picture in a book Koko was looking through, which featured a stream with pink flowers along the banks (the ASL signs for “Stink” and “Flower” are similar).
Koko was involved in all aspects of the artistic process including: choosing a brush, paint colors, a canvas, a subject, iterating until she was happy with it, and finally signing her paintings when finished.
Sign & Painting List:
00:10 "Bird" (painting title)
00:22 "Love" (painting title)
00:32 "Red"
00:47 "Toilet"
02:34 "Pink Pink Stink Nice Drink" (painting title)
02:38 "Long Life" (painting title)
Video Credits
The above video KokoArc video features 3-minutes of related clips, filmed in 2001, when Koko was 30 years old. The video was taken by Dr. Ronald Cohn, TGF's Chief Documentarian and co-founder. The musical background track ("Funky Rock Jam") is by Matteo Mancuso, who is the "gorilla in the room" of young modern guitar players.
What's Next?
The content we are discovering in these videos is being used to share Koko's Legacy, and advance our mission of "conservation through communication" in every way possible, by applying the results to our 4 key programs: KokoArc (research), KokoApp (education), Kids4Kko (education) and KokoCares (gorilla care and conservation).
Only by increasing our understanding of gorillas can we motivate improved conditions for them in captivity and establish the empathy needed to protect them from extinction in Africa.
Sincere thanks for joining us on this exciting and enlightening journey made possible by interspecies communication! |
