Sierra Leone: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in 1995 and is is Sierra Leone’s sole chimpanzee sanctuary. Situated within the Western Area Peninsula National Park, around 40 min from Freetown, it covers 100 acres of pristine rainforest. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting orphaned and critically endangered western chimpanzee species. Unlike is neighboring Guinea, where chimps are eaten and killed, in Sierra Leone they are not protected and considered the national animal. Huge fines and prison terms are in place. When we arrived in late afternoon, we got lucky to see almost all the chimps – 127. First we saw babies playing, then subadults, and finally all the adults returning home at sunset and in time for dinner.