Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
best time to visit is at their 1.30pm feed when they are out in the open (not in the concrete
blocks they enter for their morning feed). Bring a packed lunch and drinks; there's also a
braai (barbeque) area available.
It is possible to stay overnight at the campsite (per person ZMW75) or in the self-ca-
tering cottage (per person US$25, whole cottage US$200) at the education centre, which
has 10 beds, self-catering facilities and bed linen.
A very special way to experience Chimfunshi is to do a chimpanzee bush walk
(US$100) with some of the younger chimps. Listen closely to the guide and don't take
anything the chimps can easily grab.
It is also possible to volunteer at Chimfunshi for a minimum of 14 days and a maxim-
um of 90 days. Contact Chimfunshi directly for more details or sign up through the Afric-
an Impact (www.africanimpact.com) website. Volunteers get involved in all facets of the
project, including fencing, cleaning out the chimps' feeding areas and helping out at feed-
ing times.
By car, there is a new road that starts about 55km from Chingola and it is well signpos-
ted. It's about 20km off the main road straight to the project area. Contact the project in
advance and staff can arrange a one-way transfer from Chingola for ZMW100 to coincide
with a supply run. Although buses between Chingola and Solwezi can drop passengers at
the turn-off, it is generally easier to visit Chimfunshi with a private vehicle.
THE CHIMPS OF CHIMFUNSHI
The Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage was founded in the early 1980s by cattle farmers David and Sheila Siddle.
The whole thing was an accident: Sheila was well known for nursing sick calves, so an orphan chimpanzee con-
fiscated from poachers in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC; formerly Zaïre) was brought to
her for help. The young chimp recovered, word got around, and over the following years increasing numbers of
chimps rescued from poachers, zoos and circuses all over the world were brought to Chimfunshi. Many were sick,
traumatised and unused to the company of other chimps.
Meanwhile, the farm became a sanctuary, the cattle were sold and the Siddles forgot all ideas of retirement.
Along the way, they also became experts in chimpanzee behaviour and rehabilitation techniques. Contrary to the
advice of primatologists, chimps from different backgrounds (eg the jungle of Cameroon, a zoo in Russia and the
private house of an Arab millionaire) were placed together in enclosures. This proved successful, as many chimps
settled down happily and formed cohesive family groups.
It was not possible or safe to release the chimps back into the wild, so to cope with the growing numbers the
sanctuary expanded. Two 200-hectare enclosures of natural forest and grassland - the largest of their type in the
world - were established in April 2000, giving groups of 20 to 30 chimps huge areas of secure 'virtual wilderness'
where human contact is kept to a minimum.
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