The JGI SA Chimpanzee Eden is within the 1000 hectare Umhloti Nature Reserve, and is a home to chimpanzees that have been misplaced from their natural habitats in Central Africa. The world renowned Jane Goodall Institute has made this tranquil venue their South African sanctuary and is committed to the rescue and care of chimpanzees in need of refuge. Being the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa, this brings the world of chimpanzees closer to humanity through education and tourism. Entering the reserve, a mere 15 km from the bustling city of Nelspruit, visitors are captivated by the beautiful bush surroundings with plains game species free roaming. The reserve is located in a low risk malaria area
The goal of the JGI SA Sanctuary is to rescue some of the chimpanzees that have survived the bush meat trade; others have been orphaned and are traded in the illegal pet trade to zoos, circuses and medical research facilities. These chimps are the lucky ones, living out their lives in a risk free environment and provided with the necessary attention to recover from the trauma that they have experienced.
Visitors have a unique opportunity to see chimpanzees in semi-wild surroundings that are close to their natural habitat. The chimps now show normal social interaction and behavioral patterns. The enclosures also have viewpoints overlooking the forest and ‘foraging areas’ These areas provide the chimps with endless hours of fun and are essential for keeping boredom at bay, they also help to positively reinforce natural behaviour. Chimps, like other great apes such as gorillas and orangutans, are a constant source of interest and amusement to the general public. Viewing platforms provide visitors with a great opportunity to view at our closest relatives!
The Jane Goodall Institute South Africa
Wow what an amazing experience. So sad to hear what people did to some of the Chimps. Thank you for Chimp Eden to resque and look after these Chimps. I dinated a bag of soft toys when I visited Chimp Eden. Please check the list of what is needed and help Chimp Eden. Thanks Adri Brits - Adri
I really enjoyed the tour and hearing the stories of the individual chimps. I really appreciated seeing the chimps live a good life after the sad circumstances they came from. Conell was an excellent guide and really brought the stories to life. I could see he is really passionate about helping the chimps. We loved hearing and seeing the different personalities they have. One recommendation I have is to have more merchandise in the shop that is branded by the center (has the chimp eden or JGI logos). I would have loved to have taken home a jacket or poster that were branded. Another recommendation is to have merchandise that has the stories or faces of the individual chimps. Everyone connected to a story about one of the chimps and I would have loved to have taken home a photo or statuette, etc. of the particular chimp I connected to. Also, because it is difficult to get good photos of the chimps, I would have loved to have purchased one of the large photos hung on the walls. I think the center can raise more money by having more items specific to the chimps and the center. All in all, it was a nice tour and I'm glad we went. - Roxanne
A wonderful heart warming experience. We had a fabulous guide called Conell who clearly demonstrated how much he loved the animals and his job! He was fantastic! He gave us such an informative tour. Such sad stories to hear about these beautiful animals but so wonderful to see the fantastic work the rehabilitation centre does to give them a safe happy home. I would thoroughly recommend this as a visit and to support the organisation as much as possible! Well done to everyone involved! - Judith
Wonderful experience. Martin , our guide, had great knowledge about each individual chimp. He looked after us really well, making sure we were always safe and knew how not to upset the chimps. Thank you for memories that will last a lifetime. - Brigid
A very nice experience well guided with very interesting details about the behavior of the Chimpanzees and their social interactions. Absolute recommendation to visit this sanctuary! Tour was almost 2h long and you can ,,adopt" a Chimpanzee to support the foundation. - Katja
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