As you may have heard, The Gorilla Foundation sadly shared that Koko the gorilla passed away in her sleep on June 19th. People the world over have been moved by Koko and her story, as well as the two other gorillas at The Gorilla Foundation, Michael, who became part of Project Koko, learning American Sign Language with Koko until his passing in 2000, and Ndume, who was brought to The Gorilla Foundation from the Cincinnatti Zoo in the hopes of forming a bond with Koko, and currently still resides there.
As humans we tend to be intrigued, if not deeply passionate about our fellow great apes. We often see so much of ourselves in them, but also so much of them in ourselves. We are mesmerized by the beautiful, creative, unique, complicated, intelligent and emotional individuals they are.
We’ve been touched this week by friends of the chimpanzees who have chosen to make a difference in their lives by sponsoring days of sanctuary as a way to honor Koko and the unique person she was.
Arva Roland sponsored today’s day of sanctuary “in memory of Koko, a very special gorilla.” Our hearts and thoughts are with all those who cared for and loved Koko.
Koko (photo credit to Ron Cohn and The Gorilla Foundation):
Arva, thank you for your compassion and for remembering Koko today. Your heartfelt gift makes a lasting difference in the lives of the chimpanzees and we appreciate you including them as you honor Koko and her life.
Negra:
Burrito:
Foxie and Jamie:
I would have liked to see Koko live her live in a sanctuary so she could be a gorilla.
Thank you, Katelyn, for posting your kind words. Koko was absolutely amazing. I remember a dozen years ago telling a six-year-old child about Koko (I’ve seldom met anyone his age — provided their curiosity is encouraged rather mocked and stifled — who isn’t interested in science). “Does she really talk?!”, he asked, his eyes wide in amazement. I explained that she could talk through sign language. “Can we go by her house and see her?!” I explained that she lived in a forest reserve in the mountains near the Pacific Ocean. Not to be dissuaded, he then asked, “Can she come to my school?!”
Koko had that effect on people. She was an ambassador from her simian world to ours. I will not soon forget the video of her tickling Robin Williams and emitting her deep, guttural laughter. A soul like hers is not easily gone, or forgotten…
Tobin, Koko was indeed a fascinating, utterly beautiful and charming ambassador for her species. But I have strongly mixed feelings about here life and the (I believe pathological) relationship she had with her keeper. Koko taught us a great deal about her species but she also deserved a better life, beyond a trailer.
She took love where she found it — people, her kittens and cats — but dear heavens she deserved to know her own kind. I echo Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s comments about the elephants she rescued and for whom she cried each time one returned to the wild: it is their birthright and who are we to interfere with that. It’s selfish to do otherwise.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Regarding Koko’s welfare, I will defer judgment to those who were/are more apprised of the circumstances of her living quarters. I was under the impression that she resided in a wooded, rural
setting with at least one other gorilla. In that regard, I may have been misinformed. Needless to say, I think that great apes who live outside of their indigenous habitats need
a facility like that provided by the CSNW: sufficient acreage in which to roam,
climb, and forage in the companionship of others of their species. Much as I
admire the work which Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo performs in advocating for their gorillas and
chimpanzees, even there I would still like to see more physical space for the apes to live and move and have their being: they are not obligated to be on “display” for human primates.
I too remember the video of Robin Williams and Koko tickling each other and how much fun they both were having. I bet they’re both up there now, playing together and having a wonderful time!?
Broke my heart to hear that Koko passed away.
Oh dear. I am afraid I didn’t know this news until I saw the headline in your blog post email today. I follow Koko and was just thinking that I needed to visit their website as I hadn’t received a newsletter from them lately. This has been a extremely difficult time for me as I recently lost my shelter dog and I’ve been circling the drain so to speak. Seeing this headline honestly brought me to tears. Koko is someone I have followed for decades and it’s hard to image that this soulful ambassador for gorillas, and all captive and wild primates, will no longer grace this earth with her brilliance and beauty. And my heart breaks for Ndume. While I know they lived their lives more separated then The Cle Elum Seven, how lonely he must feel without his primate companion. And Penny, I almost believe I can imagine her pain, I am feeling something so similar. To spend every single day, side by side with a beloved animal friend is gift far beyond imagining, it is impossible to let go.
Animal Farm Foundation, the shelter where I adopted my little dog (and where I volunteer and feed my soul), shared this beautiful message in the sympathy card they gave me. Next to Tobin’s heartfelt message, there isn’t anything better I could say:
“…the linar progression of time that humans perceive is but one interpretation of reality. ‘Past and future’, ‘here and now’, ‘present and absent’ are just constructs that our human brains create in an attempt to package the vastness of universal existence into cognitively manageable pieces. Sometimes this results in the perception of loss where none exists.”
Koko will never die. She will live on in all of us who marveled at her existence.
I would very much appreciate finding out what the cause of Koko’s death was? I have been following her website written by her caretaker, Penny, for many years. I read that she did in her sleep, but, was it from old age? Had she been experiencing any illness?
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Diane M. Kastel
Wheaton, IL
Wonderful post, Katelyn, thank you. You articulated so well why we are fascinated with these beautiful, sentient creatures.