Chimpanzee Sanctuary Volunteer South Africa

This is an extremely exciting project, allowing you the opportunity to volunteer and train alongside our closest relative, the chimpanzee. This programme is endorsed by Jane Goodall, a leading pioneer in primate research and offers you the chance to work at a large and internationally recognised rehabilitation sanctuary for chimpanzees.

You will spend your time training for the introductory level Chimpanzee Primate Sanctuary Management course, whilst also carrying out your course research at the sanctuary itself. This will provide you with daily observations and interactions with these amazing primates, offering you a unique insight and understanding of this highly intelligent species. You will also understand the practical management and rehabilitation process of chimpanzees, with the primary objective of releasing chimpanzees back into the wild.

Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participant’s health.

The Volunteer Programme
Only about 150,000 chimpanzees remain in the wild today, where one to two million lived in 1900. The threats to chimpanzees are numerous and the need to save them is urgent. Chimps are being hunted for meat, being kept as pets or for entertainment, losing their habitats through deforestation and are also the victims of HIV and AIDS. Therefore, their welfare and populations are under threat, mainly due to human interaction and now we need volunteers to help reverse this situation by helping at a specific rehabilitation sanctuary for chimps that have been saved from this type of threat.

The project offers you the opportunity to take part in an exciting and internationally recognised Chimpanzee Primate Sanctuary Management course, which is endorsed by the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa and by the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA). This training is then put into practise and further expanded as you work in the mornings and early evenings at the sanctuary, helping in the day-to-day activities with the staff members, carefully observing and collecting various data on the Chimps, whilst also assisting in some conservation bush work within the reserve.

Volunteer Role
The aim of this project is to provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and all practical training that you receive will be based here. The sanctuary itself is fabulous, with an extremely large enclosure, set amongst a stunning African savannah backdrop and as close to a chimpanzee’s natural environment as possible. There are a huge number of trees and open spaces in which they can play and explore, whilst becoming acquainted with the true sense of freedom.

Your chimp training will include learning about the day-to-day behaviour of the chimpanzees and their interactions with fellow members of their group. You will collect data in regards to the individual chimpanzee characteristics, whilst also exploring new ways to aid them in their preparation for release. All of your tuition and sanctuary activities will be under the guidance and supervision of the sanctuary curator and members of staff. This sanctuary-training programme has very high standards of education so we can ensure that you receive the best training possible.

Please Note: Chimpanzees are fascinating and extremely intelligent creatures, but without a great deal of training and years of experience, they can be extremely dangerous! Therefore, we cannot guarantee any hands-on experience at this project: It is primarily a conservation and rehabilitation programme, thus ensuring that human interaction and reliance is kept to a minimum.

Your Primate and Conservation Course
The theoretical part of your course will take place at a specialised training venue in this tranquil Private Game Reserve and is run by highly qualified and experienced chimpanzee specialists and field guides. Your programme will be based on the study of Primatology and will coincide and rely on the sanctuary’s own informal training programme, which has been developed through experience gathered within this private and well-respected sanctuary.

The modules you will learn about on the course include:

At the end of the course you will be rewarded with a recognised Level 1 Sanctuary Management Certificate, endorsed by the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa.

Conservation Activities
This part of the programme is focused on the conservation and preservation of the reserve and you will have the opportunity to assist the team in the various activities that are undertaken when managing a private game reserve in Africa. You will help carry out vital conservation and bush work such as snare sweeps, fence patrols, soil erosion control, road maintenance, bush clearing and any other task that the reserve may need help with at the time. You will also learn about the wildlife and ecology of the area and skills such as basic tracking and survival. Depending on the time of year you may assist with wildlife counts and surveys.

There is also a new ‘Roots and Shoots’ scheme within the sanctuary where staff and volunteers are planting indigenous trees back into the reserve for the chimpanzees, so that they can become acquainted with their future, natural habitat when they face release back into the wild. These conservation activities are optional, but will be included as part of your weekly programme, providing an extremely interesting and worthwhile element of your African wildlife experience. They will usually take place on some afternoons as specified by the sanctuary staff.

Project Support
Throughout your stay in South Africa you will have the support and guidance of the sanctuary manager and his team of guides and handlers. They will provide you with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you many need during your stay. In addition you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.

Project Orientation
On arrival at the programme you will be taken to meet your fellow volunteers and project staff and have some time to settle in. You will then begin your project orientation, which will cover important issues and also provide you with important information about the programme itself, such as:

Project Accommodation and Meals
Your accommodation during the programme will be in comfortable wooden chalets at an excellent purpose built camp, which is fully equipped to make your stay extremely secure and relaxing. Your Boma is an outside area that serves as an entertainment and open-air dining area, set on a hill and overlooking the unspoilt bush of the reserve, in a peaceful setting away from the lodge and Chimpanzee centre.

The bedrooms are based on two people sharing and are well equipped with pine-framed beds with duvets and linen, cupboards and chairs. The rooms are serviced daily and laundry can be done for you at a small charge. There are separate bathroom facilities with hot and cold running water and flush toilets. From time to time you will be able to access the internet.

You will be provided with 3 meals a day, all prepared for you by the chefs working at the nearby guest lodge. The food is therefore of a good standard and will brought to the camp each day.

These meals will usually consist of: