Gertrude

Gertrude is the only resident of Cedar Tree villa who won’t accept food from the hopper. In the years she’s spent living in the Blue Ridge mountains, her caregivers have learned that for Gertrude to accept chow, fruit, or vegetable, it must come through an opening at the bottom of the door. Any other delivery method simply will not do! 

Gerty (or Go-Gert, as she’s sometimes called) positively adores training. She will often bring along a piece of cardboard to use as a seat while she responds to body presentation cues in exchange for treats. Sometimes, she’ll even bring a spare seat for the human training her! So thoughtful. 

Gertrude was part of the very first group of chimps who arrived at the sanctuary in 2016, as was her sister Jennifer. Today, both chimps still live with and explore their outdoor habitat together as part of the same group, which is a joy to see!