Chimfunshi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chimfunshi is a world renowned Chimpanzee orphanage, the only one of its kind in the world, located in the Copperbelt region of Northern Zambia. The program was started by David and Sheila Siddle in 1983, when a badly wounded Chimpanzee was brought to the farm, having been rescued from Zairian poachers. The Chimpanzee wasn't expected to survive but the pair nursed it back to health. Since then the orphanage has expanded to house over 100 orphaned Chimpanzees, and over 1,150 acres (4.7 km²) of jungle, savanna and fruit groves.
The orphanage is now home to numerous other types of animals including peacocks, which roam freely around most of the grounds, an assortment of birds, many of which were brought there to be reared back to health, and a hippopotomus, which was brought there as a baby and now has little trouble getting through the electric fences.
The orphanage is target of tourists, mainly expatriates who work for the mining industry.
In 2002, Sheila Siddle published her autobiography, In My Family Tree: A Life With Chimpanzees to widespread acclaim.
