Dear Friend,

My early days with Koko were exploratory in every sense of the word: Koko was exploring her surroundings and learning about me, and I was learning about Koko and exploring her language abilities.

But some of the most fun times were when we took field trips to interesting places like Stanford University's Primate Center.

In the above video, a young Koko (3 years old) visits the Stanford University campus with me in the early 1970s. Koko's inquisitive personality and eagerness to learn are already evident as she enjoys exploring the open spaces just outside the Primate Center.

Notice also how she naturally mimics an interspecies sculpture (of a gorilla or large chimp and a young human, side by side).

We signed as much as possible during these visits, and Koko seemed to feel great joy at being able to tell me what she wanted to do, and watch me respond in a way that respected her needs and wants.

For example, she would ask for food snacks when she got hungry, and tell me directly when she was ready to "Go."

We shared a special bond, and learned from each other on these beautiful excursions, and throughout her life!   I still feel her presence every day, and she inspires everything I do!

It all started as a Stanford Psychology Department PhD project, and developed into a nearly 5-decades long interspecies communication study that gave us a glimpse into the emotional, intellectual, and empathetic capacities of all gorillas.

The legacy of Project Koko continues today through our extensive multimedia archive, KokoArc, created by the late Dr. Ronald Cohn who cofounded Project Koko with me.

Through KokoArc we're exploring a unique interspecies bond!

All of this data is being digitized and entered into the KokoArc database, packaged into the KokoApp (to be released later this year), shared with Kids4Koko through our website and the phone app, and used to improve conditions for gorillas both in captivity and in the wild (where they remain critically endangered) through our KokoCares program.

Stay tuned for more Koko video highlights, and remember that you can look up previous video posts via our KokoArc blog:

Koko.org/blogs/kokoarc

Thank you for coming along on this unfolding interspecies journey that just might hold the key to saving great apes from extinction and inspiring the next generation to do even more to ensure a sustainable future for all of us!

With Koko-love,

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