Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage is one of the largest chimpanzee reserves in the world and is internationally recognised as such. Chimfunshi is home to over 145 chimpanzees, most of them living in 8 large forested enclosures, and as close to their natural environment as possible.

The GPS co-ordinates of the sanctuary are: S12° 21.924‘ E027° 28.912‘

The chimpanzees at Chimfunshi live in large, enclosed, open forested area within the natural Miombo woodland – each of an area up to 121.5Ha (300 acres).

Each enclosure includes an indoor handling facility with several areas, which are used for supplementary feeding of the chimpanzees; for social integration, health observations and for urgent medical care if required.

The majority of Chimfunshi’s chimpanzees spend most of their time outside in the forest and sleep in ‘nests’ in the trees as they would in the wild. They are generally only in the indoor handling facilities for approximately 90 minutes of their day to ensure their health and wellbeing.

Chimfunshi is home to other wildlife too

Recognised as an “Important Bird Area” (IBA #22)

Chimfunshi is recognised as an “Important Bird Area” (IBA #22), an area recognised as being a globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Chimfunshi is one of about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. Some of the species that can be found at Chimfunshi are: pale-billed hornbill, coppery tailed coucal, Miombo Scrub robin, red-capped Crombec, white-headed black chat, chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver, and broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah.

Other rescued animals

The orphanage is home to other rescued animals such as baboons, vervet monkeys, parrots, antelopes, owls, buzzards, sheep, and peacocks.

The Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary Activities

international primate research

Chimfunshi attracts researchers from America and Europe. Chimfunshi works closely and regularly with scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany), and for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen, Netherlands), the Free University of Berlin, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and Gonzaga University in the U.S.

The Chimfunshi Community

Chimfunshi employs 70 full-time staff and provides housing, medical care and education for the employees and their families. With 70 employees and their families the sanctuary now supports approximately 300 people who live in five compounds around Chimfunshi.

The Education Centre

In 2002, an Education Centre was built to provide a facility to teach the youth of Zambia about ecology and wildlife conservation. Local and international students researching group behaviour and ethnic studies also use it.