South Africa Monkey Rehabilitation

Day 1: Arrive into Johannesburg International Airport (airport code JNB)
Today you will be met from the airport and taken to a backpackers hostel in Pretoria. You will need to arrive before 4pm though, so that you ready for your orientation that evening. The journey from the airport to your accommodation takes around 45 minutes.

If you are not able to arrange a flight to get you into Johannesburg before 4pm then we’d recommend you fly in a day early. We can arrange an early airport pick-up for you including one night’s accommodation, give us a call for more information.

Day 2: Monkeying around!

Today you will be transferred to your project and introduced to the team so that you can begin volunteering. The project itself is based in Tzaneen, 420km north of Johannesburg, near the world famous Kruger National Park; to get there you will travel by Bus from Pretoria Bus Station which departs at 10:30am and will arrive in Tzaneen at around 3:40pm. You will be met from Tzaneen bus stop by a representative from the project and taken to the Monkey Sanctuary; the journey to the Sanctuary takes approximately 25 minutes.

When you arrive at the sanctuary you will be introduced to the team who will be your main point of contact whilst you are volunteering. Your accommodation is on the same site as the project and the team will help you settle in. Today is all about settling in and getting to know how everything works.

Days 3, 4 and 5: Getting stuck in!

If you are at the programme between November and February then this is the baby season, so please be prepared that you may be starting your day as early as 6am and finishing at 4pm. You may also be asked to be involved in overnight shifts with the babies – a truly memorable experience!

Outside of these months, you may be starting at around 8am and finishing at around 5pm.

During your volunteering you can expect to be involved in a variety of different activities which can vary depending on the needs of the sanctuary at the time you are there. These may include the collecting and preparation of meals for the monkeys, caring for the orphans, sickbay duty, observation and recording of date, construction and maintenance at the centre, taking photos and writing articles for newsletters, working with the ex-pet monkeys and rehabilitating them.

Days 5 and 6: Weekends!
Even though it is the weekend, the work never stops at the sanctuary as the monkeys require attention seven days a week, so you will still be working during weekends. However it is not ‘all work and no play’ at this programme, as you will be entitled to a half day of free time on either day of the weekend. You can use this time to simply chill out and relax or take advantage of the many activities that this fabulous area has to offer.

In addition to your half day off at weekends you will also be able to choose a full day off mid week to use as you choose; if you are at the project for a min of 4 weeks you will also be able to take some touring days to visit places such as Kruger National Park.

You will be working Monday to Friday at the programme plus weekends, but don’t forget you will have your half day of free time at weekends and an additional day off in the week. It is entirely up to you what you decide to do but we recommend you make the most of it and see as much of the area as you can!

Once you are fully settled in, your team at the sanctuary will be able to help you arrange touring trips with a local guide who is fully qualified. Some of the trips available may be to Kruger National Park or a riverboat safari! The guide will be able to collect you directly from the volunteer accommodation and return you safely at the end of your excursion.

On your last day, after saying goodbye to your new found friends and staff at the Sanctuary, you will be able to travel back to Johannesburg Airport or stay and travel independently in South Africa.

The project aims to provide shelter and care to Vervet monkeys which have been injured, orphaned or abused, and so are not able to be released back into the wild. Instead, they are rehabilitated and housed in natural enclosures with their fellow primate companions. The sanctuary is also involved in educating the local community on Vervet monkeys and establishing ways to live side-by-side with each other.

As a volunteer on this project you will be involved in a number of different tasks:

• Collecting and preparing food to give to the monkeys
• Caring for the Monkeys
• General maintenance at the centre
• Construction of new enclosures for the monkeys
• Caring for the orphaned baby monkeys during the baby season (November to March)
• Monitoring the health of the monkeys

Your work at the programme may not be limited to just these tasks – remember, you’re volunteering in Africa, so it’s important to be flexible!