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TACUGAMA CHIMP SANCTUARY
Freetown, Sierra Leone
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The last three decades has seen a dramatic decline in numbers of chimpanzees in Sierra Leone where the previous 20,000 wild chimps has today become less than 3,000. In 1988, Bala Amarasekeran and his wife Shamila were travelling through a village north of Freetown when they saw a sick and weak baby chimpanzee being offered for sale. They promptly bought the baby chimp, suspecting if they didn't he would die.
The little chimp, Bruno, soon began to recover; a cage was built in their garden and as Bala and Shamira were able to learn more about chimps, they were hearing of others being kept in Freetown, most in appalling conditions, including Julie, a young chimp abandoned by her owner. Julie soon bonded with Bruno, and they simply became inseparable.
A SANCTUARY IS BORN
News soon spread about the couple in Freetown helping chimps and within a few years they had seven within their compound at which time it became clear that a more permanent home was required. After much discussion with the Sierra Leone Ministry of Forestry, Conservation Society of Sierra Leone and the European Union Office and, with initial funding of the EU office, a prime 100 acres of rainforest was allocated for what was to become a sanctuary, just a twenty minute drive from Freetown.
Today a large population of chimps live in the semi wild environment of the rain forest sanctuary and, having given up his career as an accountant, Bala still runs things with the invaluable help of several staff and volunteers. Having survived the rigours of civil war throughout the last decade, during which, though attacked twice, neither staff nor chimps came to harm, the BBC described the sanctuary as "one of the most successful projects of Sierra Leone".
Tacugama continues to receive support from organisations including WSPA, IPPL, EU, Gorilla-Haven (Dewar Wildlife Trust), Arcus Foundation and Step by Step. More recently WSPA helped finance electric-fenced enclosures and with further running costs, Step by Step financed the Community Development and Education Programmes, IPPL continues to assist in running costs and the EU office financed the building of the Resource Centre.
Unlike other similar sanctuaries in Africa, Tacugama receives very little much needed publicity and it hoped that, with the country's political stability of today, further work and assistance may be achieved with help from sources and friends worldwide.
Should you wish to know more about Tacugama and perhaps assist the sanctuary in any way please contact:-
Bala Amarasekaran tel: 00232 22 224098
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary tel: 00232 76 611211 (cellphone)
P.O. Box 469, Freetown, Sierra Leone email: sab@sierratel.sl
website: www.tacugama.com
