Gerri

Wild-born parents gave birth to Gerri in Africa on 3 June 1996, making her part of a critically endangered subspecies with fewer than 100,000 individuals remaining in their natural habitat. Her early years involved multiple relocations before finding stability at her current home.

Born into captivity but carrying the genetic heritage of wild western lowland gorillas, she represents an important link to the free-ranging populations of Central and West Africa. The IUCN lists her subspecies as Critically Endangered, placing enormous conservation value on every individual.

After several moves in her first year of life, Gerri eventually arrived at Mefou Primate Sanctuary, where she has spent the majority of her adult years. Now approaching three decades of life, she has witnessed significant changes in gorilla conservation efforts across that time span.