The Gorilla Foundation would like to express our deep sadness following the death of Harambe and the tragic events at the Cincinnati Zoo. Our condolences go out to all those involved and especially Harambe’s Family, Chewie and Mara, and their caregivers.
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Koko and Dr. Penny Patterson (Photo: Business Wire)
We have had a long-standing relationship with the Cincinnati Zoo as Ndume, Koko’s silverback gorilla companion, was born there. We know the dedication of the Cincinnati team to quality gorilla care, and understand what an incredibly difficult situation this is.
More than 40 years living and working with gorillas has enabled us to see how deeply affected these gentle giants can be by such tragic loss. We have witnessed firsthand how Koko mourned the loss of her first companion, Michael, when he passed away and her intense grief when she lost her kitten, All Ball, in a car accident. We have also seen Koko become sad when reminded of either Michael or All Ball. Additionally, we remember how Michael was traumatized by the memory of his mother’s poaching in Africa, which he conveyed to us in sign language. Our experiences remind us that these highly intelligent beings have emotions very similar to our own!
As the world’s leading expert on captive gorilla behavior, our Founder, Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson, commented: “The bond among the gorilla family would have been very strong and the gorillas will need emotional support at this time and may suffer from depression.”
Our hope is that some good may come from this tragedy. Highlighting the sensitive nature of gorillas and their plight as a critically endangered species may lead to greater awareness. People’s emotions need to be engaged for change to happen and this is where the Gorilla Foundation comes in.
Koko engages their emotions – she has become a powerful ambassador for her species, and in communicating with her (and her male companions Michael and Ndume), we have come to better understand all gorillas.
We need to find solutions to protect both captive gorillas and free-living gorillas in an environment that is in alignment with their biology, and conducive to their health.
The Gorilla Foundation programs include these solutions — such as creating sanctuaries where gorillas could live undisturbed and protected, using technology to view them at a safe and non-threatening distance, and basic two-way communication to better understand their needs, wants, and emotions — and for us to convey ours to them.
The goal of the Gorilla Foundation is to work with our partners to offer captive gorillas the option of such a sanctuary environment — both at our current Woodside, California site, and on Maui, Hawaii — to be further developed with support from the public.
The Gorilla Foundation / koko.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is Conservation through (Interspecies) Communication. Established in 1976, it is perhaps best known for Project Koko, the longest running interspecies communication study in history and the only one involving gorillas (Koko, Michael and Ndume). While its initial focus was on the language capabilities of great apes (via sign language), its focus has shifted to the application of language (and other means of communication) to understand the great ape mind in ways that benefit them both in captivity and in Africa (where they face imminent extinction).
See also Dr. Penny Patterson’s interview with People, and CNN, as well as the Daily Mail’s independent article, for additional information on this topic.
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Contacts:
Jane Narich, 650-216-6450 ext. 18
jane@koko.org
