Bushbabies Monkey Sanctuary is about an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria. Set within the low mountains of the Magaliesberg range, the sanctuary offers a free-roaming forested home to primates that used to be personal pets, or that used to live in zoos or other places of captivity. more

The De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary near Pretoria, started in 1971 on her parent's chicken farm by Ann van Dyk, has assumed a crucial role in cheetah rehabilitation and breeding. Now called the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, the sanctuary also contributes to the conservation of African wild dogs and Cape vultures. more

A tour of Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is an ideal add-on to any safari or wildlife lover’s itinerary. This Garden Route wildlife sanctuary is unusual in that it rehabilitates terrestrial and marine creatures, and offers visitors an opportunity to be up-close to 6 of South Africa’s 7 indigenous wildcat species. more

SanWild Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, close to the northernmost gate of the Kruger National Park, is a wildlife rehab centre that cares for animals that are brought in injured or orphaned. Plans are afoot to enlarge this important conservation centre. more

Enjoy close-up interaction with South Africa's blue, crowned and wattled crane species at the Hlatikulu Crane & Wetland Sanctuary. These endangered birds are being rescued, rehabilitated and bred at this bird sanctuary where visitors are afforded an opportunity to learn about their habitat, habits and heritage. more

Doesn’t meerkat rehabilitation sound like the perfect job? On a farm near Nieu Bethesda in South Africa’s sprawling Karoo, one woman is helping dysfunctional meerkat pets turn into fully capable, wild meerkats in newly created colonies. Go there for the fresh air, the farm life, the fossils and meerkat encounters. more

The Knysna Elephant Park, which is home to a large herd of African elephants, welcomes thousands of visitors every year. Situated halfway between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, the establishment offers the rare opportunity get up close to these giants. more

The Jane Goodall Institute’s Chimpanzee Eden, set in a forested reserve between Nelspruit and Barberton, has brought hope, peace and some degree of normality to dozens of traumatised chimpanzees from all over Africa. Visiting the sanctuary is a moving and uplifting experience. more

Penguins Eastern Cape, located in the delightful seaside town of Cape St Francis, is a rescue facility for seabirds. Here birds that have been oiled, stranded or injured are nursed back to health. The work done here is critical, as the African penguin population has recently nosedived. more

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre is among South Africa’s best-respected animal sanctuaries. During your visit you will see creatures that are so rare that your chances of seeing them in the wild are vanishingly slim. Cheetahs are the reason the centre started, but you’ll love all the other animals too. more

Every year the Barberspan Bird Sanctuary, just a few hours away from Johannesburg, attracts thousands of birds, among them flamingos and pelicans, to its protected wetlands, making it a premier site for ornithological research and a birding must-see destination. more

Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre, situated in the shadow of the majestic Mariepskop Mountain in Limpopo province, is a world-renowned rehabilitation centre caring for injured and orphaned animals. It offers daily tours for visitors and welcomes international volunteers. more

Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary was founded in 1998 and is one of the Garden Route’s favourite attractions. This is the world’s first free-roaming, multi-species primate sanctuary, set up to house monkeys born into captivity. Around 400 monkeys of 15 different species have found a home in this forest. more

The Elephant Sanctuary runs conservation and rehabilitation programmes which afford people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch, feed, walk trunk-in-hand and even ride these highly intelligent gentle giants. It's an amazing and enriching experience that should be on every visitor's to-do list. more