Volunteer at the Vervet Monkey Foundation

A unique experience to partake in the intimate life of the vervet monkey, get to know the individual troops on a personal basis as you help with the daily preparation and distribution of food. Really get involved with troop formation as you integrate ex pets and orphans back to their unique and natural lifestyle, watch the little orphans grow up and become members of the troop as you go around monitoring for any problems. Be part of the team and live the life of a sanctuary carer and experience the joy of making that lifesaving difference to this misunderstood primate
Volunteering at the Vervet Monkey Foundation gives you a glimpse into the lives of not only the monkeys but those involved in caring for them at what it would be like to be part of a sanctuary team.


In 1989 the plight of the vervet monkey species in South Africa first came to light when an orphaned baby vervet monkey, only hours old was discovered. Enquiries to recognised authorities concerning the fate of such primates revealed that there were no facilities to provide for its care and welfare, instead they were told to kill the monkey because, such animals were regarded as vermin.

As environmentalists and humanitarians, they saw that the solution to this problem did not lie in euthanasing these orphaned primates but rather, the need for an organisation to provide a sanctuary for them and to holistically investigate what was in fact happening to this indigenous primate of South Africa.

It soon became apparent that very little was in fact known about this
species. Most of the data available at that time was negative, contradictory, incomplete and inaccurate. This void was due to its classification as vermin, and this lack of knowledge had portrayed this indigenous primate in a very poor and negative light. At that time there was also very little information pertaining to the rehabilitation of this primate species. As conservationists they could see that the solution to this problem was not the senseless killing of these primates but the need for a programme incorporating:

•A facility to research the life style and environment of this species.
•A program to rehabilitate orphaned and injured primates.
•A program to research the claims of damage and problems caused by vervet monkeys and offer possible solutions for co-existence.
•An education program to inform the public of the role that the vervet monkey plays in the eco system.
•A sanctuary for primates unfortunate enough to be unreleasable but, manageable enough to be used for educational purposes.

As a high priority they began to research the possibility of rehabilitating
these orphans and to develop a much needed rehabilitation programme and sanctuary where injured and miss-placed vervet monkeys would be humanely treated.

During the past decade the Foundation has developed a unique rehabilitation programme that has helped revolutionise the way in which primates are rehabilitated. Our enclosure designs are now utilised in similar primate projects. Fundamentally, the Foundation has saved and improved the lives of more than six hundred vervet monkeys. The foundation has also achieved many firsts in the rehabilitation of this primate species with the aid of volunteers, gap year students and primate carers.