The eco-lodges and tree-covered footpaths of West Africa's largest chimpanzee refuge have been devoid of tourists for more than two months as its founder stages a protest about rampant deforestation in Sierra Leone.

Freetown

The Takugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, West Africa's largest chimp refuge, has been closed to tourists for over two months as a protest against ongoing deforestation in Sierra Leone. Founder Bala Amarasakaran cited land grabbing, illegal logging, and development as key drivers of forest loss, which threatens both wildlife and human communities.

Authorities acknowledge the threat to wildlife and have initiated some actions, including dispatching a task force to address illegal logging. However, Amarasakaran remains concerned about the lack of sustained enforcement and the risks posed to the sanctuary and its animals. Data shows Sierra Leone lost about 39 percent of its tree cover since 2001, with severe consequences such as the 2017 mudslide linked to deforestation.

Sierra Leone chimp refuge shuts to tourists to protest deforestation

The doors of West Africa's largest chimpanzee refuge have been closed to tourists for more than two months. Its founder is staging a protest against rampant deforestation in Sierra Leone. The major deforestation is caused by greed. It is land grabbing, period. There's nothing else. Bala Amarasakaran founded the Takugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary 30 years ago and has led it through civil war and the Ebola epidemic. He says deforestation in the area is fuelled by development. Authorities acknowledge the country's wildlife is threatened by land seizures and illegal logging. But that's not enough for Amarasakaran to reopen his doors. I cannot take the risk to keep the sanctuary open for public because there are dangers associated with it. Because suppose last year they put fire very close to the chimpanzee holding facility. That is a buffer zone. Nobody should have entered there. And if the fire started coming in last year, some of the chimps were trying to escape. And if they do, there is going to be definitely a tragedy. There will be a human-wildlife conflict. Sierra Leone lost approximately five million acres of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, according to data. That represented around 39 percent of the country's total tree cover in 2000. The consequences of rapid deforestation were also shown in 2017. An estimated 1,000 people died in a mudslide on Mount Sugarloaf that a paper published by the Geological Society of London blamed on a mix of heavy rain, unchecked construction, and deforested slopes. The paper said tree loss had weakened the soil's ability to absorb water and hold together. It's a serious problem. It's an existential problem. Sierra Leone's information minister, Cherno Bar, says they understand the sanctuary's decision to close. He said the government was working towards, and committed to, protecting the peninsula's forests. And they have already breached and they've come beyond the greenbelts. The Rasakaran said President Julius Marabio's government has dispatched a task force to conduct raids on illegal logging operations, but complained a lack of follow-up operations means the problem will persist.

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Breakdown