Chimp Eden

Nestled within the beautiful 1,000 hectare Umhloti Nature Reserve, 15 kilometres outside Nelspruit, the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Chimp Eden) provides a safe haven for chimpanzees rescued from across Africa.

Founded in 2006 and is the first and only chimpanzee sanctuary in South Africa. Through education & eco-tourism, we bring the world of chimpanzees closer to people while raising awareness about the urgent need to protect them.

The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is or closest relative and is classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. They are also listed under Appendix I of CITES, giving them the highest level of international protection. Without stronger conservation efforts, chimpanzees could disappear from the wild within the next 10-20 years.

At Chimp Eden, our mission is to rescue and rehabilitate chimpanzees that have:

• Survived the bush meat trade
• Been orphaned
• Suffered in the illegal pet industry, or
• Have been exploited for human entertainment in circuses, beach resorts, and night clubs

The chimpanzees here are the lucky ones. They now live in large, semi-wild enclosures where they can form natural social groups, forage, and display rich behaviours of their species – all in a safe environment, with the dedicated care they need to heal from their past trauma.

The sanctuary is home to three chimpanzee groups, each with its own spacious enclosure. Visitors and volunteers can observe them from specially designed viewpoints overlooking the forest and foraging areas — a truly unforgettable experience.

As part of the Jane Goodall Institute, Chimp Eden continues the legacy of Dr Jane Goodall, whose groundbreaking research forever changed how we understand chimpanzees and our connection to the natural world. Since 1977, JGI has led global efforts to protect endangered species and habitats, while also empowering communities through innovative, people-centred conservation programmes.

Through Roots & Shoots, JGI’s global youth programme, young people in more than 50 countries are inspired to make positive changes for animals, the environment, and their communities. Over the past decades, Roots & Shoots has impacted millions of lives across more than 100 countries.

The Jane Goodall Institute

Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues Dr Goodall’s pioneering research on chimpanzee behaviour. This research transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. The South African chimpanzee sanctuary is proud to be part of the Jane Good Institute, which is a global leader in the effort to conserve and preserve endangered species and habitats, and in particular chimpanzees.

The JGI is also widely recognised for establishing innovative community-centred conservation and development programmes in Africa. Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, the Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian youth programme, has groups in more than 120 countries.

JGI South Africa

As from January 2013, the JGI SA manages both the primate care and all operations at the chimpanzee sanctuary. The Institute is a non profit organisation and all funds received go directly back into JGI Chimp Eden to further its aims of conservation and protection of chimpanzees, or to assist in funding the Roots and Shoots outreach programmes.

The Jane Goodall Institute South Africa Chimp Eden is accountable to the JGI SA Trustees.