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EUGENE CUSSONS

Managing Director of Chimpanzee Eden; Rescue Director of Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) South Africa

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Eugene Cussons holds a rescued chimpanzee at South Africa's Chimp Eden.

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Join Eugene Cussons's blog and community site, Comrade Cozy.

Watch an exclusive interview with Eugene Cussons.

Read the transcript from the April 4, 2008 live chat with Eugene Cussons.

Join Eugene Cussons for a tour of Chimp Eden.

Eugene Cussons was born in 1979 in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa. For generations, the Cussons family has been deeply rooted in the African conservation ethic, and Eugene grew up with a special appreciation for African wildlife. Learning from an early age, Eugene has dedicated his career to wildlife conservation, converting part of his family's game reserve into a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees — Jane Goodall's Chimpanzee Eden.

Eugene had a successful career in the corporate world before deciding to build Chimp Eden, making him uniquely qualified for his twin roles of managing the sanctuary and carrying out dangerous rescue missions. He studied business management and economics at the University of Pretoria, and he then developed software for financial trading applications. Deciding he didn't want to be deskbound for the rest of his career, Cussons returned to the family game reserve to combine his management skills with his love for the outdoors.

Eugene opened Chimp Eden in 2006 in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). As the managing director of Chimp Eden and the rescue director of JGI South Africa, Eugene has focused Chimp Eden's efforts on rescuing chimps from areas where no one else is willing to venture, such as war-torn countries like Sudan and Angola. Personally rescuing the chimps, Eugene brings them back to Chimp Eden, where he takes on the role of caretaker.

Besides his commitment to the chimps, Cussons is a devoted husband and father. Eugene is married to wife Natasha, and together they have a baby girl, Haley. The family calls Chimp Eden "home" and live near the chimp sanctuary. The Cussons are never too far from their 19 chimpanzee residents with more chimps continually on the way.

Always one for adventure, Eugene is also a certified scuba diver, a boat skipper, skydiver and rock climber. He's an expert off-road driver and held the position of head instructor for the Land Rover Experience in South Africa.

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MORE CHIMP EDEN

About Escape to Chimp Eden

Meet Eugene Cussons

Meet the Chimps

Visit the Chimp Eden Sanctuary

See Chimp Eden Photos

Adopt a Chimpanzee

Solve Chimp Eden Puzzles

Chimp Eden Episode Guide

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ANIMAL GAMES AND INTERACTIVES

CHIMP EDEN VIDEOS

Escape to Chimp Eden Videos
Go behind the scenes of Escape to Chimp Eden. Join host Eugene Cussons for a tour of the Chimp Eden sanctuary, learn more about many of your favorite, including Jao, Cozi, Zac and Xena, and watch highlights from the series.

ABOUT CHIMPANZEES

How Chimpanzees Work
The chimpanzee has long forearms, which extend to the knees. It usually walks on all fours but occasionally walks upright. Learn how chimpanzees work at HowStuffWorks.com.

Are Chimpanzees Evolving in the Wild?
If you were to put a sample of chimpanzee DNA next to a sample of human DNA — and if you had any idea what you were looking at—you would see that the samples are nearly identical. Find out more about chimpanzees evolving at HowStuffWorks.com.

All About the Chimpanzee
Find out all about our closest relative, the chimpanzee in our Wild Animals A-Z guide!