For more than 40 years, Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust has been providing a safe haven for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees. Founded in 1983, when an injured infant chimpanzee named Pal was brought to Sheila and David Siddle by a wildlife ranger, Chimfunshi has grown into one of the world's largest chimpanzee sanctuaries. Today, we provide lifelong care to 145 rescued chimpanzees across eight natural forest enclosures covering over 200 hectares.
This Giving Day for Apes, you can support their care.
Map of Chimfunshi's Enclosures
At Chimfunshi, the majority of chimpanzees in our care have come from a traumatic background, often suffering at the hands of humans. Young chimpanzees are left orphaned and traumatised after witnessing their families being killed by poachers for bushmeat. They are then taken from the wild to be sold via the illegal wildlife trade, where they are kept in unsuitable conditions either as pets or as tourist attractions. By the time they arrive at Chimfunshi, they require specialised and dedicated time to heal. These chimpanzees are then introduced to established groups, where they will live the rest of their lives in large naturalistic spaces, and learn how to become a chimpanzee again. At Chimfunshi, they get to express natural behaviours such as climbing trees and foraging for food, they form deep social bonds with their own species and live as nature intended. Our dedicated team cares for them all-year-round, providing nutritious diets, enrichment activities, individual and population management and high-quality specialised veterinary care.
Top Row (Left to Right): Karla, Don, CC, Aimee-Love
Bottom Row (Left to Right): Derek, Robbie, Barbie, Bobby
Unfortunately, the need for sanctuaries like Chimfunshi has never disappeared. Across Africa, chimpanzees continue to face threats from human activity, in the form of poaching, habitat loss, illegal trafficking, and human-wildlife conflict. Every rescue represents an individual life saved, but it also creates a lifelong responsibility. Unlike many wildlife rehabilitation programmes, with so few feasible or safe opportunities to reintroduce to the wild, rescued chimpanzees often require decades of specialised care, making long-term financial support essential.
But we do not stop here. Today, our approach integrates our sanctuary with community development and conservation efforts.
As our number of rescued chimpanzees continues to grow and facilities age, so do the challenges. Enclosures require ongoing maintenance and improvement, veterinary equipment must be renewed, food costs continue to rise, and new rescue opportunities demand additional space and resources. Every contribution made through Giving Day for Apes helps provide nutritious food, medical care, enrichment, habitat improvements, and dedicated staff needed to ensure that every chimpanzee at Chimfunshi can live a healthy, safe, and dignified life.
By supporting Chimfunshi, you are helping provide a future where rescued chimpanzees receive the lifelong care they deserve while contributing to a broader vision in which people and wildlife thrive together.
Organization name
Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust
Tax id (EIN)
65-0261499
Continent
Africa
Apes Categories
Chimpanzees
Small Budget Organizations
Small Budget Organizations
Address
PO BOX 11190 Off T5 (Solwezi Road), Chingola, Zambia