Tacugama Wildlife Sanctuary Shuts Down Amid Escalating Encroachment Threats

Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, one of Sierra Leone’s most cherished conservation sites, has announced an indefinite closure effective immediately due to ongoing illegal encroachment threatening its operations and the lives of its rescued chimpanzees.

The sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Freetown, revealed in an urgent statement on May 26th, 2025, that illegal human activities—including the construction of unauthorized structures and setting of animal traps—have dangerously encroached on protected park boundaries.

Despite initial law enforcement efforts ordered by President Julius Maada Bio, which saw the removal of several illegal structures, enforcement actions reportedly halted three months ago. Since then, the situation has worsened.

“Our team continues to discover traps alarmingly close to the chimpanzee enclosures, posing a direct threat to the 122 rescued chimpanzees under our care,” the statement reads.

Tacugama plays a pivotal role in conservation education and eco-tourism, depending heavily on visitor income to sustain its operations. The sanctuary’s closure is not only a significant loss to wildlife conservation but also a blow to the country’s eco-tourism sector.

“This is a painful but necessary decision,” Tacugama officials noted, emphasizing that the safety of the chimpanzees and the protection of the forest ecosystem remain their top priorities.

During the closure, the sanctuary plans to rehabilitate several of its electric-fenced enclosures and bolster internal security measures to prevent further threats. While chimpanzee viewing is currently suspended,

Tacugama confirmed that its ecolodges and guided hikes, located outside the main sanctuary grounds, remain open to the public.

The sanctuary is now calling on the Sierra Leonean government to resume immediate and sustained action to protect the nation’s wildlife and its shrinking forest reserves.

About Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Tacugama was founded in 1995 by conservationist Bala Amarasekaran and his wife Sharmila. Initially established to enforce wildlife laws and rescue and rehabilitate orphaned chimpanzees, the sanctuary has grown into a diverse conservation organization.

Today, Tacugama is actively involved in community outreach, wildlife field research, environmental sustainability, conservation education, and alternative livelihoods programs. It was also instrumental in having the chimpanzee declared the official national animal of Sierra Leone.