Koko Signs

About This Project

Summary

The Gorilla Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and well-being of gorillas and other great apes. It is best known for “Project Koko,” the longest interspecies communication study in history. Spanning over 4 decades, Dr. Penny Patterson taught Koko the gorilla to sign over 1000 words, and changed the world's perception from viewing gorillas as huge, scary monsters (ala “King Kong”) to sensitive, empathetic beings much like us. Koko passed away in 2018.

Goals & Objectives

The Koko Signs app is designed to carry on Koko's legacy and fulfill the Gorilla Foundation mission of "Conversation through Communication." The app teaches gorilla sign language, shows conversations Koko had with celebrities, and informs people how to protect and preserve gorillas.

Results & Impact

The Koko Signs app carries on Koko's legacy and The Gorilla Foundation's misssion of "Conversation through Communication." The app makes hundreds of hours of videos of Koko signing available to a new generation of people who care about gorillas, in the US and in the field in Africa.