I thought the above video from our new KokoArc database might be the best way to express our gratitude for you being there, as we celebrate, study and extend our 5-decade journey into the world of interspecies communication with great apes like Koko.
In the above video, 3-year-old Koko is with me in the kitchen of her trailer at the San Francisco Zoo (the year is 1974). I give her a pink wool hat to try on, which she promptly rejects as "stupid." She then proceeds to wear it and pull it down over her eyes, blocking her vision, and parades around the counter with a giant grin on her face.
Koko was always a little bit mischievous. So planning to do cognitive studies with Koko required taking into account that mischievous streak and keeping her activities fun and engaging. You can see Koko’s sense of fun in the above video!
Encouraging Koko to express herself like this allowed us to learn more about her unique personality, fulfill most of her needs and many of her wants, and have a relationship that grew deeper and more profound over time.
Thank you so much for following and supporting our efforts to apply interspecies communication to enhance the lives of both captive and (eventually) free-living great apes.
Wishing you love and gratitude!
Dr. Penny Patterson, Ph.D.
President & Director of Research
The Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org
Conservation through Communication
The Gorilla Foundation PO Box 620530, Woodside, CA 94062
1-800-ME-GO-APE [email protected]
The Gorilla Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Federal Tax ID: 942.38.6151
