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The sanctuary is home to over 120 chimpanzees, most of them orphans rescued from poaching or habitat loss. The chimps are rehabilitated at the centre before being released back into the wild. Presently there are 120 chimpanzees in the sanctuary that are going to rehabilitation centre.
Sierra Leone’s world renowned Tacugama chimpanzee sanctuary shut down to protest the destruction of surrounding forest in the Western Area Peninsula National Park, earlier this year. Five months later, it’s once again welcoming visitors to the sanctuary.
Set in the Western Area Peninsula National Park, Tacugama is a refuge for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees.The shutdown was a bold protest against forest destruction around its boundaries.
The sanctuary is home to over 120 chimpanzees, most of them orphans rescued from poaching or habitat loss. The chimps are rehabilitated at the centre before being released back into the wild. Presently there are 120 chimpanzees in the sanctuary that are going to rehabilitation centre.
Founded in 1995 by conservationist Bala Amarasekaran, Tacugama has endured decades of challenges, from civil war to Ebola. Now it’s become Sierra Leone’s leading ecotourism destination and a beacon of wildlife conservation across West Africa.
Following government commitments to strengthen protection of the area, Tacugama reopened on November 1, marking what management calls a turning point in the fight against habitat loss.
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The Western Area Peninsula National Park has been accepted as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, it hosts 80 to 90 percent of Sierra Leone’s terrestrial biodiversity.
