Dr Jane Goodall’s recent visit to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary helped secure global headlines and officially launched Sierra Leone’s rebranding process as the next leading tourist destination.
In partnership with the World Bank, the Office of the First Lady and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Tourism, we delivered the following announceables:
- The critically endangered Western chimpanzee was declared as Sierra Leone’s ‘National Animal’
- Ministry of Tourism announced that the chimpanzee will become Sierra Leone’s new face of tourism
- The Government of Sierra Leone launched Visa on Arrivals as a means to promote tourism
About Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS) was founded in 1995 by Mr. Bala Amarasekaran together with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), whom allotted 40 hectares of land to be used inside the recently upgraded Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAPNP). As of 2018, the sanctuary cares for 78 chimpanzees and unfortunately, each year more orphan chimpanzees continue to arrive at TCS, which is an accredited member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). TCS confiscates and cares for chimpanzees that have been orphaned due to the illegal bush-meat and pet trade or human-wildlife conflict. TCS also works towards achieving chimpanzee conservation for wild chimpanzees in Sierra Leone and other areas of their habitat.
Everything they do starts with the chimps and transitions into wildlife conservation, research, environmental protection, advocacy, law enforcement, community preservation, and education development initiatives. They also actively raise local and international awareness to promote change and address dire issues before it’s too late. As a result, TCS has emerged as a globally recognized conservation model.
Sierra Leone needs to sort out it’s unsafe streets and attacks on internationals before tourism can be considered. So tired of reading these articles when the attacks are real and happening, sadly the media nor police want this to get out but the country is not safe. Why would you select Sierra Leone versus Cape Verde where government take crime seriously, with equally nice beaches.
Annon, if you can justify your above claim by bringing evidence that there are unsafe streets and also that attacks are real and happening. – Also, can you please comment on why the media nor the police want the above to go out if even your claims are true – I want you to know that Sierra Leone is moving in a New Direction with discipline leadership.
In addition, there are many reasons to visit Sierra Leone and not Cape Verde just as folks in Africa and around the world, have so many reasons to travel to the USA for Summer or fall – we all know that the U.S.A is not as safer than Sierra Leone that you are saying the government don’t take crime seriously – I will appreciate you do research on how the President of Sierra Leone and those leading the Sierra Leone security are bringing up creative ways to maintain peace and love between citizens.
If YOU WAN VISIT CAPE VERDE, GO DEY YAAA – BUT NOR MAKE ODA MAN FEAR FOR CAM SALONE – WITH U LIE LIE TOK DEM
“Unsafe streets and attacks on internationals”. Where on earth do you get that from? After having been back here for over a decade, I can pretty much count the attacks on internationals on the fingers of half a hand – and those tend to have been where they’ve wandered somewhere they shouldn’t. As for unsafe streets, do you mean street crime or vehicle traffic. If the former, then it’s quiet low. Again, be sensible and exercise caution. If the latter, many expats I know her use public transport without any issues. If you want to tear the country down, do it based on the truth.
Sierra Leone is an amazing travel destination, and in my view very safe. I’ve had lots of family come to visit and they’ve all loved it. Beautiful unspoiled beaches, fishing, hiking and for the more adventurous there’s options up country to go truly off the beaten path. Come and see for yourself!
SIERRA LEONE IS A UNIQUE AND BREATHTAKING TOURIST DESTINATION, WHICH OFFERS DIVERSE EXPERIENCE TO VISITORS/TOURISTS – RANGING FROM NATURE, RICH CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE, BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, EXOTIC ISLANDS, MOUNTAINS, LAKES ETC ETC. . THE PEOPLE ARE WARM AND FRIENDLY.
ANNON, PLEASE DO NOT KILL SIERRA LEONE TOURISM.
Annon, i am a journalist working with the biggest media house in Sierra Leone. If you have evidence to you claims then please share them and be guaranteed that i and my institution will not only look into it but bring it to the public.
However, let me proudly say that crime rate in Sierra Leone is very low as opposed to your assertions. It is also in rare cases that foreigners do get attacked.
Ensure you have your facts right and have proof to your claims before coming out with such wild allegations.