Why Volunteer at C.A.R.E.? Because Baboons Deserve Better & You Will Be Making a Real, True, Positive Impact

In the heart of South Africa’s wilderness, there exists a sanctuary for baboons - where humans come to help - for compassion, healing, and purpose. C.A.R.E. (Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education) is more than a rehabilitation center. It’s a place where lives, both human and primate, are transformed.  Lives are changed here forever, gently pieced back together through the magic of nature, trust, empathy, and action.

🐒 Why Baboons?

Chacma baboons are among the most misunderstood and persecuted primates in Africa. Intelligent, social, and emotionally complex, they are often vilified as pests, hunted, orphaned, or displaced by human expansion. Yet behind every “nuisance” label is a sentient being capable of grief, joy, loyalty, and love.

These baboons don’t just need care; they need you. Volunteers are the heartbeat of C.A.R.E., offering the hands, hearts, and hope that make healing possible

💛 Why You?

At C.A.R.E., you won’t just clean enclosures or prep food. You’ll become part of a story; one of resilience, strength, healing and empathy.

• You’ll be part of transformation: a traumatised infant learning to trust again, a lonely juvenile finding family in a surrogate troop or a psychologically damaged baboon that you can provide enrichment for, to aid in their rehabilitation process.
• You’ll learn deeply: about primate behavior, ethical wildlife care, and the delicate application of rehabilitation protocols and practices.
• You’ll grow personally: in patience, emotional intelligence, and the kind of strength that comes from serving something greater than yourself.

This is not easy work. It demands presence, humility, and grit. But it offers something rare: the chance to make a real difference in the life of creatures who have known suffering, and who, because of you, will know safety, dignity, and love.

🌍 Why Now?

The threats facing baboons are urgent. Habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal wildlife trade are escalating. Every volunteer who joins us is a stand against indifference; a living promise that these animals matter.

If you’ve ever longed to be part of something meaningful, to connect deeply with nature, and to give your time to a cause that truly needs you, this is your moment.

Come to C.A.R.E. Not just to help baboons, but to learn from them. To be changed by them. To stand with them.

If you are looking for a program that genuinely needs volunteers, this is the one for you. We need you.

Volunteering at C.A.R.E. is for people that love wildlife, want to put their love into action though working daily and keeping their hands very busy with cleaning, cooking, preparing food and enrichment and observing daily behaviours of both wild and captive animals at the centre. It is essential to note that our team work really hard, so your support and helping hands are essential for us to, together achieve our goals for the animals that are in desperate need of your help. You can guarantee that your work is valuable and vital to ensuring optimal animal welfare as we do our best to rewild the orphaned wildlife that need help.  You are part of a community of people that like you, truly care about the animals and their individual wellbeing and often the friendships formed amongst the team become life-long.

🛠 What Volunteering Looks Like

Volunteering at C.A.R.E. is for people who love wildlife and want to put that love into action; through hard work, daily care, and deep observation. Please know, whilst this is an experience of a lifetime, it is not a holiday.  Our team works tirelessly, and your helping hands are essential. You’ll be part of a community that truly cares, where you can meet people with similar mindsets, and often forge friendships which have in for many others, become lifelong.

📍 About C.A.R.E.

Founded in 1989, C.A.R.E. is a reputable wildlife rehabilitation center located in a stunning Big Five Private Nature Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park. With 430 baboons in our care, we urgently need volunteers to help us provide the best possible welfare and rehabilitation for these orphans, many of whom have suffered deeply at the hands of humans.

🌄 What You Can Expect

Every day is a safari day; living in a Big 5 Nature Reserve, just walking between the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Rehabilitation areas, it is common to see giraffes grazing, impalas rutting, hear lions roaring and hyenas laughing in the distance. But, it’s also a day of hard work, purpose, and connection. 

Located 45 minutes from the nearest town, C.A.R.E. is truly out in the bush and every day is a safari day (with plenty of hard work), offering an escape from the bustle of everyday life.  You will be away from your home comforts and in a remote location, if you are looking to embrace this and connect with nature, get to know your authentic self and connect with others with similar mindsets, C.A.R.E. is the place for you.

Whilst the work is varied and involves caring for the orphan baby baboons, some ex-laboratory sanctuary baboons and the husbandry of the adult baboons, there are never any guarantees that orphans will have just arrived and be in the early hands-on care stage of rehabilitation during your stay with us. Orphaned baby primates grow quickly and we try to give them to surrogate baboon mothers as soon as they are ready; to ensure they are wild and fulfil our goals and promises to them to give them back a social family.  With 430 baboons, all previously orphaned and awaiting release, there is so much essential work and additional experiences you'll partake in to ensure C.A.R.E. is achieving its broader goals of helping the communities and environment on a greater scale.  We take our role as rehabilitators seriously, and you are very welcome to come and help and learn all about the incredible baboons, who amaze us with their intelligence every day.  

Here are some of the activities you may be involved in, depending on how many volunteers there are available at the centre and which staff are available. The volunteers are always assigned to the raising of the orphans, and if we have enough hands we enjoy getting our other projects off the ground too. Our Outreach and Education Program is a vital part of the project, working closely with other organizations locally to increase support of the baboons and educating children to respect and understand baboons, all of which you are welcome to help and take part in.

• Hand Rearing Orphan Baby Baboons (if there are any in this phase of rehabilitation during your stay)
• Being a Primate Keeper for Adult Baboons  (prepare food, clean enclosures, make enrichment, collect grass)
• Enrichment Program; make enrichment such as ice-lollies, packed bamboo or kong toys and more
• Husbandry of adult baboons undergoing rehabilitation
• Veterinary Experience; take fecal samples, have a look through the microscope
• Behavioural Observations; we monitor the baboons every day; checking health, demeanor, oestrus swellings and more
• Data collection
• Enclosure Maintenance
• Collecting natural vegetation for feeding; the animals love seedpods, fresh green grass and branches to browse on and play with
• Collecting natural items for enrichment and feeding
• Cleaning enclosures: enclosures are cleaned every day, we hope you will help.  Scrubbing, hosing, replacing fresh grass. It's hard work but really rewarding and the baboons are obviously excited when they enter their new, clean home with fresh hay and branches to look through.
• Husbandry for the smaller animals including adorable rescued guinea pigs and rabbits
• Cleaning and organising all areas of the centre
• Tracking; our staff can take you for a river walk, to learn tracks and signs of other wildlife. Seeing a lion print in the sand it something you will not forget!
• Alien and Invasive Plant Removal; we need assistance to keep the invasive plants at the river under control, and sometimes the team get together at the end of the day and do a mass removal; it is a great team-bonding time too.
• Education of School Children at the Centre (if it is organised during your stay; term times / school visits vary)
• Opportunities to go on excursions; e.g. the Kruger National Park next door, the Panorama Route (Blyde Canyon, waterfalls etc.), horse riding safaris, nearby attractions all arranged and guided by our CARE staff.  You can opt to join (at an extra, small cost) Community Outreach with other projects including: Vaccinations and health check (veterinary program) in rural areas for community dogs, spreading the awareness of baboons, visiting a community eco-village and childrens creche / after school program.