Chimpanzee & Wildlife Orphan Care Project Wildlife Orphanage, situated on the banks of the Kafue River Zambia (Northern Zambia)

The Wildlife Orphanage (where it all began...)

Chimfunshi is a family-run wildlife orphanage in northern Zambia.It was founded in 1983 when a game ranger brought a badly wounded infant chimpanzee to the cattle ranch of David and Sheila Siddle, a British couple who had lived along the Zambian copperbelt since the 1950s. The Siddles nursed the chimp – nicknamed "Pal" – back to health, and in doing so established a tradition of care and respect which are the cornerstones of the sanctuary. Once word of Pal’s recovery spread, the Siddles found themselves inundated with orphaned chimpanzees. Although many are confiscated from poachers who attempt to smuggle the infants into Zambia for sale as pets, an equally large number are rescued from dilapidated zoos and circuses from all over Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

Home to over a hundred chimpanzees, Chimfunshi is proudly the largest chimp sanctuary in the world!

In 2002, an Education Centre was built as a facility for teaching  Zambian youth about ecology and wildlife conservation. It is also used by local and international students researching group behaviour and ethnic studies. On occasion volunteers will assist with conservation education to the school groups.

The Siddles’ work has won them a steady stream of honours and awards, including the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global 500 Award (2000), the Audi / Terra Nova nomination (2001), a special commendation from the Nedbank / Mail & Guardian Green Trust Awards (2000), and the Jane Goodall Award (1995). In 2001, the Siddles were granted MBEs by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

Sheila Siddle and one of her daughters, Silvia, still lives at Chimfunshi and you should have the chance to meet her at least once and hear all about her fascinating stories of how she first arrived in Africa as a child (overland from the UK) and how the Chimpanzee sanctuary was founded at Chimfunshi.

(It’s recommended that you read the book: ‘In My Family Tree – A Life with Chimpanzees’ – written by Sheila Siddle and Doug Cress (Foreword by Jane Goodall) , as it’s all about Chimfunshi and how it all started – and includes loads of stories about individual chimps and their backgrounds).

Please note that this should not be considered a ‘hands on’ project. Chimp walks usually take place once a week and this is when you will have ‘hands on’ contact with the chimps.

2013 PRICES

2 weeks - GBP1095 l USD1915   l EUR1425
4 weeks - GBP1795 l USD3140   l EUR2335
6 weeks - GBP2495 l USD4365   l EUR3245

You can volunteer at this project for 2/4/6/8/10/12 weeks, and you can start on the first or third Monday of the month. The project runs all year round, but closes for about a month over the December holiday period. Please note that the airport pick-up is at 13h00 on the start date, which means that volunteers have to either arrive on Monday morning, or fly in on Sunday and stay overnight in lodge or hotel in Ndola. We are happy to recommend accommodation.

The project will close 2 December 2013 for the holiday period.