Volunteer with monkeys in South Africa

The project

With hundreds of baby monkeys and baboons finding refuge at this rehabilitation centre, there is a great need for volunteers to aid in the long process of getting them back into the wild.

Tragically, many of these babies have lost their parents in traffic accidents and through sour meetings with humans. This rehabilitation centre, which started out with one injured monkey, is now home to over 400 primates in various stages of rehabilitation.
To date, 20 troupes of monkeys and baboons have been successfully released back to the wild with the help of volunteers.

What will I be doing?
Volunteers get involved with a wide range of tasks at the centre, mainly working with the baby and juvenile primates, providing the care and attention that their parents would have done. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Bottle feeding baby monkeys and baboons
• Preparing food - lots of fruit, veg and bread is needed to go around 400 primates!
• Cleaning enclosures
• Bathing the monkeys
• Baby sitting the youngest primates - watching them as they learn to climb and to swim

This is an incredibly hands on project, which will eventually see your young charges being released to the wild- a process which can take up to 4 years.

Accommodation and food

The setting is beautiful, in a leafy green area close to Kruger National Park. Volunteers live in log cabin dormitories in the heart of the centre, never far from the chattering primates. Delicious home cooked meals are enjoyed together, and at the end of the day a glass of wine or a bottle of beer is usually enjoyed sitting out on the terrace with other volunteers.

Free time
The work at the centre can be quite full on, especially during baby monkey season (November - February). As the centre is run 100% with volunteers, there are no set days off as the work always needs to be done. That being said, generally speaking there is time in the afternoon to relax and babysit the monkeys as they run, jump, swim and play together.

Additionally, trips are run from the centre, with many volunteers enjoying some time at Kruger National Park, walking through some of the gorges nearby and going out for weekly dinners. In a 2 week stay, you should be able to enjoy one trip.

Project highlights

• Becoming a surrogate parent to baby monkeys - a once in a lifetime experience
• Living in the African bush with its amazing wildlife and beautiful starry nights
• Making a genuine contribution to the survival of a species