They will also be sharing this special moment with the world through a live streaming of the birth on the Internet at www.chimpeden.com

Nina, a nine-year-old chimpanzee at the institute, is expected to give birth in the next few days. Her birth will be captured on camera by technicians from WildEarth and Telecom.

“We have never had a live birth at Chimp Eden, as we are a non-breeding sanctuary and reserve our space for rescued chimps,” the sanctuary’s executive director David Oost- huizen said.

Nina was rescued from poachers in South Sudan, after which she
was kept in a Zoo in Sudan, where she was most likely impregnated before being brought over to Chimp Sanctuary.

“Because Nina was deprived of a normal chimpanzee childhood, she might not know how to care for the baby and there is a chance that she might reject it,” Oosthuizen said.

 “In that case, we will have to hand rear the baby, which can take up to five years.”