Primarily Primates » » Learn More About Koko
Would you consider sponsoring Primarily Primates’ resident Koko, who is a survivor of the heartless primate pet trade?
Chimpanzee. 3 ½ year male. Tame. Entertainment income potential. $15,000. Negotiable. Will trade for classic car.
This was the insensitive ad that ran in several papers nationwide for Koko, who eventually found refuge and a forever home at Primarily Primates.
The couple who ran the ad had decided to sell Koko after exploiting him by renting him out for parties—he was known as the Pittsburgh Rent-A-Chimp. Because they had acquired him from other pet owners (who used to punish him when he misbehaved by locking him in a dark closet) at an age when he was difficult to manage and starting to bite, they kept him shackled in the cement basement of their home, where he was lonely and starved for attention.
Today, thanks to a concerned citizen who saw the ad, and after months of socialization techniques, Koko now enjoys the companionship of fellow chimpanzees Chobe, Okko, and Willie at Primarily Primates. His favorite treats are green apples and fruit juice, and he loves to have his feet tickled.