Koko Turns 40 Today, Twitter Haiku Contest Winners Announced

REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwire - Jul 4, 2011) -

• Famous gorilla's fan base participates in celebrating her milestone birthday
• More than 100 poems submitted throughout June
• First, second and third prize-winning poems chosen

The Gorilla Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on interspecies communication and home to Koko, the famous lowland gorilla who can speak to us through the use of American Sign Language (ASL), today announced the winners of a Twitter-based Haiku contest celebrating Koko's 40^th birthday. The contest gave Koko's global fan base an opportunity to share a Haiku poem via Twitter expressing the impact she has had on their lives and the world at large in celebration of her milestone birthday.

Koko, who helped select the winners, continues to inspire all of us at the Foundation, shining today more brightly than ever. Thank you to all participants, and congratulations to the winners:

First place (Tweeted by met314)
Gentle lady ape / nimble fingers share her thoughts / teaching us to love

Second Place (Tweeted by TanyaOsterman)
When I was little / Koko showed me that humans / did not really know

Third Place (Tweeted by KokoLove40)
Signing love polite / Koko's gifts of heart and mind / change the world for good

Honorable Mention (Tweeted by coda1229)
Koko is our own / example of life's beauty / she shows we are one

Useful Links
Official Twitter contest rules
Follow Koko on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook
Donate to TGF
Koko Birthday Image
Watch KokoFlix on YouTube

About The Gorilla Foundation
The Gorilla Foundation is dedicated to the preservation, protection and well being of gorillas through interspecies communication research and education -- Conservation through Communication. The Foundation was established in 1976 and is best known for its groundbreaking work with two western lowland gorillas, Koko and Michael, who became adept at using American Sign Language. The results are published in numerous research papers, books and videos available in our bibliography.

Koko hopes to see her three wishes realized: to have a baby, for people to be 'polite' to all gorillas, and the creation of a tropical safe-haven for gorillas in need.

The Gorilla Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 corporation and is underwritten by donations from individuals, grants from foundations and corporations, and educational product sales. The Foundation receives no support from government sources.