Abused child chimp Trudy who was saved in 1998 with assist from the Mail celebrates thirtieth birthday
An abused chimpanzee called Trudy, who was saved with the help of a Daily Mail campaign, has celebrated her 30th birthday.
She was just 18 months old in 1998 when she was rescued from a horrific life of abuse at the hands of a circus family, who kept her in a box, kicked her and whipped her with a riding crop.
In a case that shocked the country at the time, circus trainer Mary Chipperfield was convicted of 12 counts of cruelty to the young chimp, but escaped with just a fine of £8,500.
Although Trudy was placed in the care of Monkey World sanctuary in Dorset, it was not long before Chipperfield’s lawyers sought to take her away again – prompting the Mail to launch a campaign to keep her safe in January 1999.
The cause was backed by Sir David Attenborough, the late primatologist Dr Jane Goodall and French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.
Nearly 200,000 readers of the Daily Mail wrote in support of the campaign to prevent a court returning Trudy to the care of the company owned by Chipperfield.
It ultimately forced a climbdown by Mary Chipperfield Promotions, which said at the time: ‘In view of the public feelings expressed in the Daily Mail, we have concluded that it would not be in Trudy’s best interests to return her.’
Experts at the sanctuary found Trudy was missing the tips from several fingers and toes from the abuse she had suffered at the hands of Chipperfield, who died in 2014.
She was an emotional wreck and, thanks to a life spent in human baby clothes, did not even recognise other chimps as being the same species.
She had never learnt how to play so instead often sought out comfort from other humans, rather than chimpanzees.
But over the years that followed, specialist care helped Trudy to transition from a life of social isolation to living with a large, adopted family of 17 other primates at the rescue centre.
The Daily Mail launched a campaign in 1999 to save Trudy from being returned to the circus trainer who abused her
Trudy celebrated her 30th birthday at Monkey World on Thursday
Nearly 200,000 Daily Mail readers wrote in support of the campaign to stop Trudy being returned to the care of the company of circus trainer Mary Chipperfield
Trudy was just a baby when she was rescued from Chipperfield in 1998
Trudy was an emotional wreck when she was rescued and, thanks to a life spent in human baby clothes, did not even recognise other chimps as being the same species
Dr Alison Cronin, director of Monkey World, said: ‘It is hard to believe that we are celebrating Trudy’s 30th birthday.
‘All those years ago we confiscated a baby chimpanzee that had been abused and neglected from the time of her birth when she was taken away from her natural family.
‘When we found her she was on the ground screaming in fear not knowing what was going to happen to her next.
‘She was being kept in a dog crate and trained to work on TV sets and the entertainment industry.
‘She was separated from her family and just wanted reassurance from the woman that beat her and swore at her.’’
Trudy turned 30 on Thursday and celebrated with a day of special treats.
Her celebrations were even live-streamed on the sanctuary’s social media page, with more than 500 well-wishers leaving the chimpanzee birthday wishes in the comments.
Dr Cronin said: ‘Today is a celebration of her resilience and the power of rehabilitation.
‘We are going to put up some old video footage of her confiscation, rescue and start of her rehabilitation to show everybody what she went through and how young and precious she was when the circus neglected her.’
Reflecting on how Trudy’s personality gradually changed after being rescued, Dr Cronin said her adopted family had been ‘key to her rehabilitation’.
‘Over the weeks and months the other chimpanzees brought her out of her shell by playing with and hugging her, helping her become the strong character she is today,’ she said.
‘We needed to help her trust again so we started taking her in with other chimpanzees who would not let her sit in her shell.
‘She would go quiet like a statue trying to avoid attention as if she sought attention in the barn she would get beatings.
‘The other chimps immediately engaged with her, getting her to play, giving her a hug if she needed it.
‘Slowly and surely, her character started to come out, and they gave her the strength and courage to be the dominant individual that she is now in the Hananya group.
‘There are four males and 14 females and she is one of more dominant individuals who goes about her life knowing she has the support of her family group.’
