Tacugama

Happy New Year to all of you from all of us at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. We hope that you have enjoyed the holiday season. As all of our chimpanzee family need the same care every day, our routine stays very similar no matter the day of the year but we’ve enjoyed meeting the extra visitors that the holidays bring to the sanctuary.

2010 is an important year for Tacugama, September marks its 15th year of operation: enforcing the law protecting chimpanzees, educating and sensitising people of all ages about the environment and conservation, working with local communities to help them develop, as well as taking care of the rescued chimps who live at the sanctuary. We will also complete the Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census project in the early part of this year. This important work is providing some excellent data and information that, as well as confirming the numbers and distribution of chimpanzees in the country, will assist us in developing and delivering conservation action plans for wild populations and their habitats. Increasing our outreach activity is essential to stemming the flow of chimps captured in the wild and the destruction of vital habitat areas.

We thought that you might like these photographs of Philip and Tito and how they changed since they first came to Tacugama. Philip was one of the “founding” eight chimps that came to Tacugama when it first opened in 1995 after being kept as a pet in Freetown. Tito was rescued from a member of the armed forces in the early years of the sanctuary and had to go through cold turkey as he was very used to smoking and drinking beer. He’s not as strong and developed as the other adult males as a result of his poor early diet.

A young Philip……
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….. and Philip now
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Tito in his first few days at Tacugama……
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….. and the handsome adult he’s grown into
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We could not continue with our work without the support of all of you and we would like to thank you for your continued interest in Tacugama and our work. We were very pleased and excited at the response we received to our first ever calendar, the sales have been great and we hope you have enjoyed receiving them also.

So thanks again to all of you who read our blogs, spread the word about Tacugama and to all of our Wildlife Direct donors : Lucia C, Michael H, Theresa S, Asami K, Yang H, Christine C, Tanya S, Yvonne M, Blair H, Serah H, Sherri S, Wanda H, James K, Nyree H, Cynthia G, Susan B, Stacey F, Stephanie B, Tara G, Heather M, Marc B, Cathy W, Sherry L, Daniele M, Gary H, Richard P, Gyorgy J, Brigitta S, WD, Mills C, Mark P, Antonio C, Terence B, Alfred N, Maciej G, Sabine K, Yvonne N, Jurgen M, Karin F, Wildatart, Linda B, Jill W, Mailyn T, Daniel L, Simone S, Lesley F, Ian S, Michael L, Brett L, Brian W, Raul C, Helen S, Nicki W, Hj H, Elisabeth C, Ekaterina G, Pilar G, Esther H, Phil T, Kathy S, Martha S, Tania M, Allan B, Catherine M, Perri L, Perry O, Jennifer F, Meghan H, Alison R, Anita M, Sarah J, Doris T, Tom Y, Eugenia Z, Yanabel G, Arpassorn R, Kevin C, Kirsten B, Christopher G, Janelle H, Amy M, Richard B, Mick T, Shannon M, Stephanie F, Anthony S, Arturo M, Dina C, Regina W, Shammarie P, Rabbitinwriting, Patrizia B, Susan H, Brenton H, Prezzy C, Charla. J

We wish you all a happy, healthy and successful 2010 and hope you will keep us company throughout our fifteenth year.