The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is hidden away in the hills of the Western Area Forest Reserve, about 40 minutes outside of Freetown, a couple of miles beyond the historic Krio village of Regent. Since 1995, the 100-acre site provides a refuge for orphaned and endangered chimpanzees.
Over the last 30 years, SL's chimp population has dropped from 20,000 to 3,000. Habitat destruction, poaching, demand for bush meat, and laboratory research are the main threats facing the feisty yet playful creatures. In rural areas, they are sometimes kept as household pets because they can be trained to fetch water and guard property. Many people don't know the practice is illegal. Currently, the fine for anyone caught keeping a chimp as domestic help is virtually nil - the equivalent of $2. But the sanctuary, in collaboration with animal protection agencies such as the Conservation Society of SL, lobbied government for an increased penalty. In February, a new law comes into effect: contraveners will be fined $1,000.
Tacugama is divided into five enclosures, where chimps are gradually introduced to each other and weaned off man's protective hand.
During the civil war, the courageous staff stayed with the chimps to protect them from the hungry and violent rebels roving the forest. Moses, our guide, recounted how on several occasions he "dialogued" with rebel groups and offered to prepare food for them in exchange for sparing the chimps. In spite of their efforts, five chimps died from a lack of medicine and an overdose of stress caused by the surrounding detonations of guns and mortar bombs. Others began exhibiting symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Today, the staff devote a lot of their time to educational programs, teaching school children about endangered species and encouraging law enforcement officials to pay attention to the illegal trade in chimpanzees. They also share cleaning, cooking, and feeding duties. A veterinarian inoculates newcomers and makes sure that they are medically fit to join the others after the initial 3-month quarantine.
For a reasonable fee, researchers and visitors can spend the night at the sanctuary. Two small huts and a cozy tree house are surprisingly well appointed and very tastefully decorated.
Without the steadfast dedication of a small group of humans, there could very well be no chimps left in SL. In theory, the final stage in the rehabilitation process would see the chimps returning to the wild. But for now, no location has been found that can provide an environment safe enough... from us.
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