Sierra Leone chimpanzee sanctuary reopens after deforestation protest

A world-famous sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees in Sierra Leone has reopened to the public, ending a five-month closure in protest at the dangers of deforestation, the reserve told AFP on Monday.

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary has defied the threat of habitat loss and civil war to become the country's leading ecotourism destination and a model for environmental conservation across west Africa.

But after being faced with an alarming uptick in deforestation on its doorstep, the reserve's custodians shut its gates to visitors from May 26 to November 1, in an attempt to spur the government to action.

"Our closure was never a choice. It was an act of protection and a stand against illegal land-grabbing that posed a serious threat to Tacugama," Bala Amarasekaran, the sanctuary's founder and director, told AFP.

Tacugama is home to the critically endangered Western chimpanzee, which is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for bushmeat. By PATRICK MEINHARDT (AFP)

The refuge only reopened after the Sierra Leone government committed to tackle the threats to the sanctuary, according to Tacugama's management.

"The past months have been some of the most challenging in our history. We faced financial loss, uncertainty for our staff and community, and the painful question of whether Tacugama could ever reopen its doors," Amarasekaran added.

Spreading over dozens of hectares of protected tropical rainforest, Tacugama is home to the critically endangered Western chimpanzee, which is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for bushmeat.

The sanctuary welcomes young chimpanzees under the age of five whose families have been killed, which need to be taught how to survive.

More than 120 primates have found a home at Tacugama, located around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the capital Freetown within the Western Area Peninsula National Park.

During the Sierra Leone Civil War, which lasted from 1991 to 2002, the sanctuary was attacked twice by rebels and completely pillaged.

The sanctuary is threatened by deforestation and illegal encroachment. By PATRICK MEINHARDT (AFP)

The country's Ebola epidemic later forced the reserve to close down for a year.

Of the wider Western Area Peninsula National Park's 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres) of forest, 5,600 have been either lost or severely damaged since 2012.

According to UNESCO, the park is home to between 80 and 90 percent of Sierra Leone's biodiversity.