Sierra Leone chimpanzee sanctuary reopens after securing forest protection

Copyright © africanews

NAMVULA RENNIE/AP

Earlier this year, Sierra Leone’s satellite renowned Tacugama chimpanzee sanctuary unopen down to protestation the demolition of surrounding wood successful the Western Area Peninsula National Park. Five months later, it’s erstwhile again welcoming visitors to the sanctuary.

Set successful the Western Area Peninsula National Park, Tacugama is simply a refuge for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees.

After a 5 period closure, it's erstwhile again welcoming visitors backmost into the sanctuary. The shutdown was a bold protestation against wood demolition astir its boundaries.

The sanctuary is location to implicit 120 chimpanzees, astir of them orphans rescued from poaching oregon situation loss. The chimps are rehabilitated astatine the centre earlier being released backmost into the wild.

“Presently we person 120 chimpanzees successful the sanctuary that are going to rehabilitation centre,” says circuit usher Sulaiman Albert Sesay. “We person the signifier two, three, four, and signifier five, which is the past stage. So the chimpanzees person to spell done this signifier earlier they tin get acceptable to beryllium released backmost into the wild.”

Challenges

Founded successful 1995 by conservationist Bala Amarasekaran, Tacugama has endured decades of challenges, from civilian warfare to Ebola. Now it's go Sierra Leone’s starring ecotourism destination and a beacon of wildlife conservation crossed West Africa.

Following authorities commitments to fortify extortion of the area, Tacugama reopened connected November 1, marking what absorption calls a turning constituent successful the combat against situation loss.

In closing down the sanctuary temporarily, Amarasekaran had hoped to spur the authorities into action, contempt the risks that came with losing funds from visiting tourists. He says he’s seen improvements: the authorities has introduced immoderate instrumentality enforcement and they're allowed to works tr...