I started this post the day the news broke that Koko had passed away. These are the words that came to me when I heard.
Shedding Tears. RIP Koko. Bless You Lady. Hope You are finally with Your Family. Where you always belonged.
When I didn't post right away, I decided to wait and post on what would be Koko's 47th Birthday, upcoming on July 4th. Ironic Koko was born on Independence Day, since she never knew freedom. I don't mean the freedom of living wild, but the simple freedom to live as the Being she was born to be, a Gorilla.
I have written about many morally criminal things that have gone on at the Zoo, during the time I have been most active there. In my opinion the selling of Koko to Penny Patterson is probably the worst San Francisco Zoo Crime committed.
I have known about Koko for as long as I can remember. I loved Miss Koko. Such a Sweet and Intelligent Being. Her famous story about her love for her Kitten endeared so many to her. I knew she lived in the area, but it wasn't until later in life did I know she was born at our SFZoo.
Like most people, I grew up to eventually come to know her history as told by Penny Patterson of the Gorilla Foundation. In short, Patterson was looking for an infant Gorilla to teach sign language to. She came in contact with Koko. Koko was allegedly in the Nursery at the SFZoo, allegedly recovering from an illness. Patterson, gained support for her project inside and outside the Zoo, and pushed to take ownership of Koko, eventually being allowed to purchase Koko for what is rumored to have been $12,000, an amount equal to over $71,000 today.
In recent years I have become friends with three people who have known and worked with Koko at different times in her life, two at the Gorilla Foundation and the SFZoo Ape Keeper at the time of Koko's birth. When I asked about Koko being separated from her Mother and Family, the key point of the story I was told was different than what has been put forth by the Gorilla Foundation (Penny Patterson) and possibly the Zoo back in the day, for all these years. The Keeper tells me that he never knew of any illness that would have taken Koko from her Mother, Jacqueline. He thinks that may have been a cover story to allow this horror to happen. He recounts that after Koko was separated from her Family, her Mother would cry out for her continuously, and the whole Family would be searching for her. This version of the story, breaks my heart for this Family.
There is no denying that Penny loved Koko in her own way. I obviously don't know how Koko felt, but I have always felt Koko lived an incredibly sad life and the Zoo did her a great disservice allowing Penny to take her. I have always thought she should have lived with other Gorillas. She never lived with Michael or Ndume, two other Gorilla Foundation Residents. There was no reason the teaching sessions could not have been done at the Zoo. I 100% believe there was no illness that separated Koko from her Mother. I believe even if that were true, that there was no reason she could not have been reunited with her Gorilla Family. This transaction to sell Koko was fought against by this Keeper and others, but was lost to Selfishness and Greed by both the San Francisco Zoo and Penny Patterson.
Koko was torn away from her Mother and her Family and allowed to be taken to live on her own as a human experiment. We know how brilliant she was learning sign language which is what made her famous and also made the career of the person (Patterson) who was instrumental in seeking out management and authority figures within the Zoo to be on her side to take Koko away from her
Mother Jaqueline and her Family Troop. Unconscionable.
You can view a video clip of Koko clinging to her Mother in this News video shortly after her birth. ... She was only a year old when she taken away and sold. Jacqueline was a good Mama and Loved her Babie. Her Babie needed her.
Screencaps of News Photos
Koko and her Mama Jacqueline
Had Koko been allowed to live her life as intended, she would have grown up with her Family, Papa Bwana, Mama Jacqueline, Sibling Mkubwa (Kubie), Half-Siblings Sunshine, and Kwanza Moja and their Mama Missy. She was robbed at a natural life. I'm so sorry Precious Lady.
The day of the news, I did this Gorilla coloring graphic in honor of Koko and her Family. All are gone now. Hope they have had a beautiful reunion.
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UPDATE: I have become involved in the crusade to Free Koko's Friend Ndume, a Gorilla still living at The Gorilla Foundation. Please read the following blog posts for more information. Thank you.
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/will-ndume-gorilla-become-gorilla_14.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/could-should-and-would-san-francisco.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/ndumes-sister-lives-at-sfzoo-blog.html
http://iamnotananteater.blogspot.com/2018/07/free-ndume-from-gorilla-foundation.html
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