Event information
Chimp Eden, or the Jane Goodall Institute is situated within the 1,000-hectare Umhloti Nature Reserve near Nelspruit. The Chimpanzee Sanctuary is home to chimps that have been displaced from their natural habitats and is the only chimpanzee sanctuary in the country.
Visitors are invited to participate in tours where registered guides provide information about the different chimps and the sanctuary, and also introduce visitors to the individual chimps to share their stories.
The JGI Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 2006 and continues to give guests the unique opportunity of interacting with chimpanzees in their semi-wild enclosures. The chimpanzees portray normal social and behavioural patterns despite some of the difficult backgrounds they come from, such as being used as pets, entertainment animals, or being victims in the bushmeat trade. The sanctuary provides a safe forest environment, free from human intervention, that encourages their natural behaviour.
Chimp Eden tours are held five times a week. Tours last approximately one and a half hours and bookings via email or phone are essential. Children under six years can partake in tours free of charge.
