Monkey Rescue

Volunteers will be involved in caring for monkeys directly as well as helping to maintain their enclosures. This involves helping to create stimulation and enrichment activities for the primates. Volunteers are involved in duties that may include:

• food preparation
• cleaning enclosures
• record keeping
• enclosure maintenance
• behavioural observation and monitoring
• primate relocation and introduction
• making monkey beds
• providing enrichment
• hand rearing (if it is needed during your stay)

There is also ‘monkey time’ which allows you to spend time with the primates and get to know them!

We also offer placements to construction volunteers who would like to help to maintain, improve and build enclosures for the primates as well as the centre and grounds.

Working days and hours

Volunteers normally work five days per week with 2 days off. Generally volunteers start at 6am and finish at 5pm with regular breaks through the day.

Other volunteers

There are usually 4 - 10 volunteers at the project at any one time with a maximum of 30.

Volunteer reviews

Read about volunteer experiences and challenges in our South Africa Monkey Rescue volunteer reviews.

By volunteering at the Monkey Rescue project you will helping to improve quality of life for the primates by providing them with essential care and attention. The primates are often unable to be released into the wild so this is important for their well-being and quality of life.

Volunteers help to maintain the sanctuary, maintaining existing enclosures and building new ones so that the project can continue to provide a comfortable safe haven for primates. As a volunteer you will play a major role, as the sanctuary survives almost entirely on the support that volunteers provide.

Establishes in 1996, the sanctuary is the first of its kind in South Africa and currently cares for over 100 primates of varying species. These include marmosets, tamarins, mona monkeys, squirrel monkeys, macaques, and lemurs.

The world renowned sanctuary receives a constant stream of requests to assist in the international rescue of primates and is now in a position to care for primates coming from many places around the world. Many of the primates that arrive at the projects have behavioural problems and the project helps to rehabilitate and provide the additional care they require.

The sanctuary soon hopes to be able to expand in order to cope with the high demand and aims to eventually provide accommodation for apes.

The sanctuary is located in Pretoria, approximately 45 minutes north of Johannesburg.

The volunteer house is based within the centre so you are just a few steps away from the monkeys. You will be in a shared dorm style room with access to a shower, washing and cooking facilities. There is good phone signal onsite, but no access to WiFi.

Due to the projects great location, volunteers also have the opportunity to visit Kruger National Park, Pretoria Zoo, museums, malls, or have dinner and drinks in Pretoria during their free time. Alternatively volunteers can use their free time to relax in the sun or visit the bar next door where you can use the pool table, dart board, swimming pool and sun loungers.

Before you go:

• Carefully selected and vetted volunteer project
• Support from our friendly and highly experienced Pod UK team
• Single point of contact - Ellie is your dedicated placement manager
• In-depth Volunteering Guide on your volunteering placement
• Travel information - visa, health and safety advice
• Access to specialist travel insurance at exclusive rates
• Recommended travel agency for flights and tours
• Access to special deals and resources
• Fundraising guide and support
• Financial protection for monies paid to Pod

On your placement:

• Animal care volunteering placement
• Accommodation - a simple shared room
• Arrangement of airport pickup
• Induction and training
• Onsite support from local team
• Support from Pod UK office by phone and email
• 24/7 emergency back up
• Incident Management and Emergency Response Plans

On your return:

• Contact from your placement manager
• Feedback scheme
• Volunteering certificate (on request)
• References (on request)
• Member of the Pod community

Not included: Flights, travel insurance, visa (if required), food, cost of transfers. Budgeting guidance is provided in our Volunteering Guide which we will email you when you apply.

Pod Volunteer is run as a non-profit organisation. Fee levels are set to match costs and any surplus monies are distributed to the projects we work with via the Pod Charity.