Ever since he was a cub, long before he’d ever even heard of Jamaa, Gilbert has wondered what it must be like to be a monkey. Or a giraffe. Or a penguin, a shark, a rabbit… ALL of the other animals fascinate him. He’s been known to leap at an animal he’s never seen before and pin it to the ground with his terrifying strength, but only to ask them what their fur feels like when it rains. He’s always puzzled and disappointed when, as usually happens, the poor animal is too petrified with fear to answer him.
Some of Gilbert’s best qualities are the very things that frustrate the more temperamental, impetuous Alphas the most. He is impeccably polite, quietly dignified, and (he believes) sensibly cautious. He takes the time to hear all viewpoints before making decisions, and in leading the Alphas against the Phantoms he is a wary and meticulous strategist. This drives some animals crazy, and more than once Gilbert’s carefully laid plans have turned into chaotic romps because Peck or Graham decided to “speed things up.”
Despite his fearsome appearance and warrior reputation, Gilbert yearns for a quieter life. Perhaps that’s why he works so tirelessly to repel the Phantom invasion — he imagines a day when Jamaa is finally safe for all animals, and he can devote his time to studying the inhabitants of the world he protects.
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