HANDS-ON MONKEY EXPERIENCE

Volunteer Activities

Bambelela is a great opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts to get involved in true wildlife conservation, rehabilitation and release.  Volunteers work directly alongside the experienced wildlife staff and will be trained in all aspects of primate care, including acting as "surrogate parents" to orphaned baby monkeys, introducing juvenile monkeys to existing troops at the sanctuary, and preparing established troops for release.  Long-term volunteers may even get to experience living at the release site and monitoring the progress of the newly released troop.

In addition to the many projects which are constantly running, volunteers also assist with the day-to-day running of the sanctuary. The volunteers’ daily tasks may include:

-Feeding of animals in the wildlife care (with food prep / cleaning)

-Making baby bottles and feeding orphaned baby monkeys

-Caring for and playing with baby monkeys, as surrogate parent and/or in Bambelela "kindergarten"

-Caring for injured or sick animals

-Assisting with basic medical practices, administering medications

-Cleaning of cages, camps, clinic, kitchen, bomas and enclosures

-Creating natural environments in enclosures

-Developing behavior enrichment programs for the animals

-Going out on calls to collect monkeys and/or food supplies

-Assisting with introduction of new monkeys

-Monitoring monkeys requiring daily attention

-Building of new camps and quarantine facility

-Writing up reports and keeping data lists

-Assisting with fundraising and social media efforts

-24 hour emergency stand-by (once a week)

Caring for animals requires patience, compassion, and a calm demeanor. A positive attitude, willingness to help and learn, and a sense of humour are essential - volunteers should expect to be dirty and exhausted by the end of the day!

Although the focus is on vervet monkeys, you may also get to experience other sanctuary wildlife at Bambelela including zebra, kudu, giraffe, warthog, porcupine, mongoose, meerkat and capuchin, as well as the many wild animals who are attracted to the Groot Nylsoog River and its marsh passing through Bambelela.

Community Outreach and Education

Apart from caring for, rehabilitating and releasing wildlife, Bambelela also runs outreach programs -  educating farmers, land owners and settlements and giving talks at schools, clubs, organizations, conservancies and the sanctuary itself.

Vervet monkeys are classified as “old world monkeys,” meaning that they have been around for over 65 million years - long before apes and humans.  Vervet monkeys are one of South Africa’s five indigenous primates. The other four are the lesser bushbaby, the thick-tailed bushbaby, the samango monkey and the chacma baboon.

Vervet monkeys live in close-knit troops of 5–40 animals, led by a dominant male.  Females have one baby at a time, typically every 1.5 years.  Babies are born throughout the year but mostly between October and December. Vervets are omnivorous, and eat fruits, flowers, seeds, leaves, shoots, bird's eggs, insects, lizards, etc. They continually patrol their territory to defend their boundaries and search for food. Vervets only feed during the day and sleep in trees at night.  Ideally, they prefer to feed in the morning and late afternoon, but if food is scarce, they might be forced to feed throughout the day or when food is available. 

Man is the biggest threat to vervet monkeys in the wild.  In addition to habitat encroachment and urbanization, thousands of vervet monkeys are trapped and sold every year to medical research laboratories. Vervet monkeys are also systematically eradicated by farmers due to the misconception that they destroy fruit crops.  The farming community is responsible for the majority of the orphaned vervet monkey babies (most often the mothers are shot by farmers). The vervet monkey is currently listed as a vulnerable species on Appendix Two of CITES (Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species).

Other Fun Activities

Volunteers may have the opportunity to explore the area during optional day-trips (typically every week, though may vary).  Possible activities include visiting the Thaba Kwena crocodile farm or doing a game drive at the Zebula Game Lodge (with hands-on experience with cheetah, lion and elephant). 

Depending on the number of volunteers and the work schedule, volunteers may be able to organize adventure activities in the area (such as tandem skydiving), visit the local "bush pub" or arrange an excursion to the C.A.R.E. Baboon Sanctuary in Phalaborwa. These activities are optional and at the volunteers own expense. 

Volunteers can also spend their off-time relaxing at the Bambelela pool or going on a hike in the mountains.

Bambelela is based near Bela Bela, a quaint town in the Waterberg area of South Africa.  The sanctuary is remote and there is no public transport to town.  However, volunteers may have the opportunity to visit town from time to time in coordination with trips to collect supplies. Bela Bela is small but has all the usual amenities, including medical doctors, supermarkets, restaurants and Internet cafés.