All our volunteers live and work at our forest site, Mefou, which is home to over 100 chimps, 21 gorillas and a whole variety of monkeys, taking the number of animals in our care to over 300. The accommodation is very basic, it is very hot and humid and we expect volunteers to work hard so it's not easy! However, the rewards are fantastic and most of our volunteers have a once in a lifetime experience with the amazing animals in our care.
Our volunteers work with chimpanzees, gorillas, apes and monkeys alongside our Cameroonian keepers - tasks include preparing food, cleaning overnight satellite cages, making enrichment for the animals, closely observing animal groups for signs of problems. Volunteers may also be involved in construction or repair projects around the park.
We must stress that we cannot guarantee that you will get direct, hands on contact with the animals and our volunteers never work with the gorillas. Our policy is to minimise human contact with the animals because this is much better for their welfare. But even if you do not get the opportunity to hand rear young orphans, you will live and work very closely with them so you will still have a memorable time.
Short Term Volunteer Vets Required
Ape Action Africa has an exciting opportunity for a volunteer veterinarian to work with the resident Cameroon veterinary team. The role of the vet team includes overall observation and management of primate health following established procedures. Responsibilities include dispensing of medication, immobilizing as necessary for treatment, implementation of disease prevention measures (including parasite checks and treatments) and attending to any medical emergencies. Health checks and close monitoring of newly rescued chimps may also be needed. A key requirement is maintenance of daily data records.
You can also visit us in peron or make a donation online to the conservation of these special species.
