In two earlier blogs we gave you questions answered by Willie and Moses, two staff members at Tacugama who have been here for many many years.Please read below for their final answers!
What positive effects do you think TCS has on the local community?
Moses: Tacugama has some major positive effects, such as protecting the water catchment areas – the Congo Dam and Tacugama Dam are both close to the sanctuary, and protecting the forest from unauthorized settlers.
Willie: The greatest positive effect is the provision of employment facilities offered by TCS to the local communities living near Tacugama. Around 60-70% of the staff are from the local community. Bringing tourists to Tacugama allows local villages to sell more of their produce, some of which is also purchased by the sanctuary for the chimpanzees.
Moses organises fruits from the local market
.
What do you know about the environment around Tacugama, the Western Area Peninsular Forest Reserve?
Moses: I have realized that with the protection of the forest around Tacugama, there is an improvement in some environmental aspects; there appears to be more bird species around as well as other wildlife, and the hills are regaining their forest cover.
Willie: Before Tacugama, there was a lot of pressure on this part of the WAPFR; much land encroachment, charcoal burning, hunting, firewood collection. The environment has started to improve with protection of the area; the forest is gradually regaining its glory. Tacugama is doing a great job.
The Western Area Peninsular Forest Reserve
.
Anything else?
Moses: On the whole Tacugama is more or less serving as an eye opener for Sierra Leoneans to understand and realize the environmental problems the country faces, and how best to promote and protect the wildlife in Sierra Leone
Willie: Despite Tacugama´s large enclosures for the chimpanzees, more enclosures are needed as more chimpanzees continue to arrive. Even with Tacugama´s continued support of law enforcement, more work is needed to prevent the chimps being taken from the wild and coming to Tacugama.
Moses fixes the fence of one of the large forest enclosures
.
Willie and Moses celebrating Willie’s Disney Conservation Hero Award
.
Thank you to Willie and Moses for sharing their thoughts about Tacugama. We hope they will be at the sanctuary for many years to come!
Donations made here are
Mar 16th Wanda H USD 23.00
4 Comments
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Willie and Moses. Thank you for taking such good care of those beautiful chimps! Education is so important and sharing what Tacugama has done for the area will show people how important it is to preserve and protect our world. I hope you both are at the sanctuary for many years to come as the next generation needs mentors like you!
Good luck!
Great Moses and Willis. Thank you.
Very interesting and informative, thank you Moses and Willie for sharing your thoughts in these interviews. Thank you for all your hard work everyday. You are invaluable.