This blog was written by volunteer Eleanor Watters, who joined us at Chimp Eden - The Jane Goodall Institute in April 2026.
The adventure begins
I arrived at Chimp Eden in April 2026, having flown from Heathrow via Johannesburg. There is only an hour's time difference, so no jet lag. Jade, our coordinator, met me at the front of the complex and helped me to my room, one of "The Wendys". I was introduced to Bev, another volunteer who had arrived before me, and Promise, who cooked us delicious food and looked after the volunteer accommodation. We were joined by Paul a couple of days later, so we were a nice team of three.
Meeting the stars of the show
First thing Monday morning, we had a tour of the complex and met some of the staff. Then, at 10:00am, we were off to meet the chimps!
First group 1. There are 13 chimps in this group, and when you first see them, it is really difficult to sort out who is who. Our guide, Zac, told us who they all were and shared their backstories. He gave them a mid-morning snack, and we were off to meet group 2. This group is slightly larger than group 1. It also contains a chimp that is very easy to recognise, Cozy. He is the most human-looking of all the chimps and likes to be front and centre at all times.
As time went on, I found I could recognise more of the chimps, not just by their appearance but by how they moved or how they interacted with the rest of the group. Chimps are very social, and watching them was like watching a school playgroup. They have their special friends and their gangs, all ruled over by an Alpha male and female.
It was one of the things I loved most about volunteering at Chimp Eden. You quickly start to see that each chimp has their own personality, relationships and quirks.
Day to day
Each workday started with scattering the chimps' food. We would walk around the enclosures while the chimps were still in bed and hide their breakfast. We were also able to watch their keepers prepare their supplements. An old chimp called Joao had the longest list. I recognised most of the supplements he was taking and even took a couple of them myself.
Once everything was done, we watched the chimps tumble out of their night dens and go off in search of breakfast. Then we went to have ours.
The rest of the day's activities largely depended on what was needed. We cleaned night dens, cut bamboo, helped in the garden and sorted food donations. The one activity we did most of was creating and distributing enrichment for the chimps.
Jade gave us things to make at first, such as filling old shoes and large pine cones with fruit puree, or putting a little peanut butter in a plastic bottle with a stick for the chimps to fish it out again. She also encouraged us to come up with new ideas.
Most of our creations went in the freezer, so they became solid. Then, either just before or just after lunch, we would stand on the viewing platforms, with the chimps getting very excited below us, and throw the day's enrichment over the fence.
I am very bad at throwing, so I can't describe the joy I felt when the chimp I was aiming at actually caught the item. Some of them should be playing cricket for England!
During my time at Chimp Eden, Sir David Attenborough celebrated his 100th birthday. We made a banner and an ice block cake so the chimps could join in the celebrations.
Unfortunately, the weather was a bit cold and misty that morning, but the chimps still enjoyed it and made fairly short work of our offerings. I think Sir David would have enjoyed it.
DIY
One of the other activities we did was DIY. A chimp called Claude was being moved into a new enclosure, and the night den needed to be painted. So we masked up, put on overalls and set to work.
I believe he has moved in now and has been joined by Joao. I hope they like the colour scheme!
Work was also being done on their outside space. Two ladders needed to be built. Jade did all of the difficult bits, like drilling. I mainly held things and helped get them in line. Jade and I built one ladder on our own, and we were extremely proud of ourselves.
It was a good reminder that chimpanzee care involves much more than spending time watching the animals. Plenty of practical jobs behind the scenes help keep the sanctuary running and the chimps cared for.
Days off
We had a trip to Kruger National Park. It was an early start but well worth it. We saw lots of animals and birds.
There were plenty of elephants in our part of the park, and we had some really nice encounters. On the way back, we stopped at a shopping mall to pick up supplies for that evening's braai, or BBQ.
Brilliant fire, good company and delicious food cooked South African style. What better way could you spend an evening?
Sundays were free, so I did a couple of sightseeing trips. The Panorama Route was lovely. We visited several sites with some amazing views. I also visited the Sudwala Caves. Beautiful formations. If you go, make sure you go down the tunnel to Fairyland. The pool at the end is stunning, and you must meet the Ghost!
And finally
I was able to spend 26 nights at Chimp Eden - The Jane Goodall Institute, and I loved every minute of it. The chimps are amazing. I could watch them for hours. The staff are fantastic, and Jade was outstanding.
This was my eighth volunteering holiday and the best so far. I am planning to return to see everyone and find out how some of the projects I was a part of are progressing. If you have never done a volunteering holiday, this is the one to start with!
