Volunteer Programme

International Primate Rescue, based Pretoria, South Africa, has enjoyed the company of volunteer workers from the USA, Canada, UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Why not join us too...

Positions available - short term volunteers

Volunteers, gap year students, adult career breakers, and more are welcome to apply for a placement at the sancturay with immediate effect. All you need to do to apply for a volunteer position is to contact us by email with your arrival and departure dates, and we will book a bed for you in the sanctuary house. We accept volunteers for short periods (a quick week away) or if you'd prefer to "get to know" the monkeys, feel free to stay for as long as you like.

Positions available - Long term volunteers

From time to time, long term volunteering positions become available at the sanctuary. Long term volunteers are required to stay for a minimum of a year and have specific roles such as Primate Carers, Cook, Admin, Volunteer co-ordinator etc. Long term volunteers get free board and lodging in exchange for their work at the sanctuary. We currently have the following long term positions available:

• Vet Nurse
• Volunteer co-ordinator
• Admin

Please contact us if you are interested in applying for any of these long term positions.

Location

The sanctuary is located in Pretoria, South Africa. Pretoria is approximately 45 minutes north of Johannesburg. Volunteers can request a pick-up from the Johannesburg Airport or choose to travel on their own, using the bus or an internal flight to Pretoria Airport.

The Primates

The sanctuary currently houses over 60 Marmosets, Tamarins, Squirrel Monkeys, Patas Monkeys and Mona Monkeys.

Volunteer Worker Duties

On arrival you will be allocated an enclosure/enclosures of primates to care for. Your duties would include:

• Food preparation, feeding the primates, cleaning the enclosures
• Medication and supplements of sick and elderly primates
• Accompanying primates to the vet
• Assisting with surgical procedures (if experienced)
• General monitoring of unstable primates
• Hand rearing (when necessary)
• Record keeping
• Enclosure building and maintenance
• Introductions and monitoring of two unfamiliar primates
• Separating fighting primates (including by hand - if experienced)
• Relocating and monitoring of primates to new enclosures at the sanctuary
• Enrichment – adding new branches and other enrichments items to the enclosures
• Assist in rescue operations

Duties over the weekends will be worked out on a rota basis to give you time off. 

Free time

You will get a day off a week to relax in the sun, or do some sight seeing. You need to be aware that the sanctuary is quite remote and the public transport systems in South Africa are not of the standard you would find in places like the UK and USA. You will need to use a taxi service into Pretoria, which will take approximately half an hour and will cost in the region of GBP35, so you need to allow for that in your budget. Previous volunteers have experienced activities such as:

• Visit the Pretoria Zoo
• Day out safari tours
• Day out visits to Sun City
• Visit a local museum
• Have drinks or dinner at a pub or bar in Pretoria
• Take a shopping trip to the local mall
• Take in a film at the cinema
• Go ice skating or bowling (located in the mall)
• Read in the sun or in the braai veranda area

What you need to bring:

• Old clothes - if you plan to go into the enclosures with the monkeys, you need to be aware that they have grubby little hands and will take great delight in leaving their own designer "monkey print" on whatever you are wearing.
• Warm clothes: If you are due to arrive in our winter months (June - August/September), please bring warm clothing. It can get colder than most volunteers expect in South Africa.
• A head torch: The monkeys are early risers and expect breakfast very early in the morning, so we start the morning feed just before the sun comes up. If you are on morning feed, you and other volunteers will be going out to the enclosures when it is still dark. The morning feed is worked out on a rota basis, so most mornings, you will not have to get up this early. On the plus side of morning feed, you can expect to see a beautiful sun rise.
• Waterproof shoes: In our summer (October - May), it rains most evenings, so the ground can get quite muddy. You do not need to bring waterproof shoes if you are arriving in the summer months.
• A fleece blanket for a monkey: Optional !!! The little monkeys sleep under blankets - and we can never have too many of them. If you bring a fleece blanket, you can give it to your favourite monkey before your departure. The little monkeys at the sanctuary get very excited about new blankets.
• Diabetic treats: Optional!! Papi, our diabectic monkey would really love a yummy diabetic treat.
• Bassetts Soft & Chewy pastilles: Optional!! Papi and for the monkeys who are on a diet (like our fatty Marvin.

Other useful information:

• We currently do not have internet access for volunteers at the sanctuary. It would be useful for you to have a good mobile phone to communicate with friends and family back home.
• The sanctuary is approximately half an hour away (by car) to the nearest shopping mall and taxis are expensive. You will need to budget for this if you plan to go out on a regular basis. We do have a shop at the sanctuary, where you can buy snacks and drinks.
• The only vaccinations you will require, if you want to play it really safe, are Hep B and Tenanus. We are very low risk for rabies. All the primates are in enclosures and would not have contact with a rabid animal. All our domestic animals (5 dogs and 4 cats) are vaccinated against rabies.
• Be aware that South Africa is a third world country and we do experience water shortages and electricity power cuts from time to time.
• The airport pick up and drop off is from the Johannesburg Airport or Pretoria Bus Station only. We do not collect or drop off at back packers etc

Costs and facilities

• Costs GBP 175 per volunteer per week for full board (3 meals a day) and a shared (dorm type) room in the sanctuary house.
• Additional: GBP 20 (each way) for airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
• Your accommodation will be a shared (dorm type) room in the sanctuary house with shared access to a shower or bath and washing machine.
• Volunteers may help themselves to the meals served at the following times:
• Breakfast: 7am to 8:30am
• Lunch: 11:30am to 1pm
• Dinner: From 6pm (sometimes a little later)
• If you fancy a snack inbetween meals, the sanctuary has a shop which stocks "snack type" goodies, plus cigarettes, alcohol etc.
• Volunteer fees must be paid into our South African banking account at least one week prior to arrival through a bank transfer

Feel free to contact International Primate Rescue for more information. IPR endeavours to accommodate you in every possible way and make your visit enjoyable.

And finally - a message from Sue (founder 1996)

Every single monkey we have rescued over the years is here because of the financial and physical support of volunteers. Your time at the sanctuary is very important to our chairty, and makes a huge difference to the quality of life and standard of care we are able to give the monkeys. Because of you we can offer the monkeys in our care the compassion and pampering that many of them had never known before their arrival at the sanctuary. Looking ahead, it is only through the support of incoming volunteers that we are able to build more enclosures to assist more monkeys who really need our help. We appreciate our volunteers - without them, we would not have a sanctuary. On behalf of our sanctuary monkeys - thank you for your support.

Contact us for more information.