Sweet Waters Chimpanzee Sanctuary

The Sweet Waters Chimpanzee Sanctuary  which is found within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy was formed in response to a need to rescue and rehabilitate endangered chimpanzees from pet and bush meat trade from the neighbouring Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Central and West Africa.  The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary opened in 1993 in a negotiated agreement between the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Jane Goodall Institute.

Being curious, intelligent and social, chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans sharing approximately 98% of human genetic blueprint. These mammals have the ability to stand and walk upright while also having the ability to move effectively on all fours.

Thanks to the opposable thumbs on their hands and feet, chimpanzees make use of tools such as rocks to crack nuts in half or sticks inserted into mounds to fish’ for termites and are the only primates to have developed tool use to such an advanced level.