The face looking back at me is filled with curiosity, intelligence and possibly a hint of suspicion, for this chimpanzee has known the best and worst of human behaviour in its young life.
I'm gazing deep into the eyes of mankind's closest relative. With more than 99 percent of our critical DNA sites shared with chimpanzees, they are closer to humans than other great apes.
These highly intelligent animals exhibit emotional reactions and a need for social interaction not unlike those of a human child, which makes their tortured past all the more tragic.
Many are deeply traumatised, having seen their mothers murdered for bush meat and "muti" industries before being sold into the worst kind of slavery.
Usually the young orphans are taken alive by animal traffickers in war-torn regions of the Congo Basin and then sold as pets to bars, restaurants, circuses or military and medical test facilities.
Often they are kept in tiny cages and cruelly subjected to years of solitary confinement. Some become alcohol and nicotine addicts as they are fed a diet of cigarettes and booze by their human tormenters.
The forests that are their natural habitat are under increasing threat and researchers predict that they could become extinct in the wild as early as 2015.
Chimp Eden, a game farm just 16km from Mbombela (Nelspruit) that is open to the public, has been transformed into a Jane Goodall-approved sanctuary that is a lifeline, as well as being a haven of kindness and compassion.
Here a dedicated team of permanent staff and volunteers, led by 29-year-old animal activist Eugene Cussons, are rescuing and rehabilitating the endangered primates, with the eventual objective of releasing them back into the wild, possibly in Gabon and Angola.
"We have to protect the species and the gene pool so that they can be released into the wild," Eugene insisted.
"All rehabilitation is being done with the idea of creating a full circle and eventually releasing them.
"We're also developing technology that will enable airborne researchers to use infrared devices that will detect the heat signatures of wild chimpanzee groups in the forests and help determine where they should be released."
But conservationists are up against ruthless gangs of poachers.
"There's an underground network and they are willing to kill - you or the animals," Cussons said.
His rescue missions have been difficult, some dangerous, with many taking up to three weeks and an investment of R100 000 to save a single animal.
To date 30 have been rescued, with 29 surviving at Chimp Eden and going through a process of quarantine, rehabilitation and education. "Some have to learn to be chimps again," he said.
Cozy is one example, having lived so long in a small cage that he'd lost most of his muscle mass and had to be taught to walk and climb again.
All the animals have distinct personalities and are instantly recognisable to their custodians.
Joao is the oldest at 43 and spent most of his life in solitary confinement in Maputo Zoo. When adopted by Chimp Eden, he had a cigarette and alcohol addiction that had to be broken and was not accepted by other adults, preferring human company to his own kind. After attempting a number of escapes, he was integrated into an enclosure with young animals, where he seems happy, playing with the youngsters and defusing any conflicts that arise.
Once the chimpanzees have settled down in their forested enclosures, their only human contact is with a fence between them, but in the early stages of rehabilitation Cussons and animal behaviourists spend many hours a day with the animals, teaching them important life skills. These include locating water sources and cracking open nuts.
Phillip Cronje, the sanctuary manager, was previously with Johannesburg Zoo and has contributed hugely to interpreting chimp language, which is based on vocalisation and behaviour patterns. One pattern that pushes everybody's buttons is an outstretched open hand, accompanied by a nervous shriek and a grimace, which means: please help me!
It is something the staff is determined to do, with volunteers and the public invited to play a part. Chimp Eden is funded by admission fees paid by visitors as well as by donations, with the Adopt-a-Chimp programme enabling benefactors to see "their" chimp daily via permanent camera positions that are used for research.
The sanctuary boasts a museum, a restaurant and the 13-room Chimp Eden Boutique Hotel. It has 90-minute tours at 10am, noon and 2pm daily.
Today Cozy is one of the sanctuary's success stories, displaying a colourful personality and entertaining visitors and fellow chimps with his antics. He does have aggressive tendencies, though, and outbursts are brought on by things that remind him of his past, including women with light hair (he was kept in a cage by a stripper for years).
Ney loves him, foibles and all. "I have a special affection for the chimps."
Hometown hero ...
He is the presenter of the 13-part series Escape to Chimp Eden, which started in South Africa this month, after being successfully aired three times to millions of Americans.
The 29-year-old animal activist grew up on the family farm, Cussonia, near Mbombela, which is home to Chimp Eden.
A TV crew from Animal Planet has been filming daily for several months, with a second series due to be shown overseas soon.
