Over the years Chipembele has become a wildlife refuge for orphaned and injured animals. With full authority from the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) animals are reared and then rehabilitated to the wild as soon they are ready. None are ever kept as pets.

Animals that have been successfully reared or nursed and rehabilitated at Chipembele include: warthogs, vervet monkeys, yellow baboons, bushbucks, squirrels, scrub hares, a Sharpe’s grysbok, a hyena, a pangolin, a serval and an Egyptian goose.The most successful animals to have been reared at Chipembele have without doubt been warthogs. Although they return to the wild very easily they also return regularly most days for a mud bath or drink of water and the females bring their latest babies. Roxy, a warthog who was raised from a 2 week old baby in 2004, went on to have 3 litters in consecutive years, but was very sadly illegally shot on Christmas Day 2008. Her daughter Ruby from 2 years ago took on Roxy's tiny orphans in addition to her own 2 babies. A reminder that life in Africa can be tough, harsh and unjust as well as joyous.

Sprite, a female bushbuck we reared form a month old in 2002 went wild after a few months but still returns every day to the environs of th house. She has had several babies in the preceding years which she usually only brings to show us after about 6 months. She remains shy and easily startled... just as it should be!

In 2007 two orphaned elephants, Chudoba and Chamilandu (2 1/2 years and 1 1/2 years) were brought to Chipembele where they were carefully raised for a month each before being transferred to the David Shepherd elephant orphanage in Kafue National Park. Although it was a long way to travel (Chudoba went on an arduous 30-hour long road journey and Chamilandu went by air) it meant they were able to be part of a proper rehabilitation scheme with more appropriate accommodation.