Sierra Leoneans from all works of life have appealed to His Excellency the President to keep the legacy alive of Dr. Jane Goodall by protecting the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary from massive encroachment and destruction. They also commended the President, the First Lady and other citizens for extending their sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Jane Goodall and for honouring the invaluable work of Bala Amarasekaran and Dr. Jane Goodall for their conservation work in the country underscoring that government must protect Tacugama for prosperity.
Best known for her groundbreaking studies on chimpanzees, Goodall was a proponent of eco-tourism in East Africa since the 70s, working to serve both wildlife and local communities. Tacugama Sanctuary in Sierra Leone is one striking example.
Born in London on April 3, 1934, young Jane Goodall dreamed of African adventures but lacked the means for university. After secretarial school, a chance meeting with paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey in 1957 transformed an impossible dream into destiny. By 1960, at just 26 years old, she arrived at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park with little more than binoculars, a notebook, and an unorthodox approach that would revolutionize science and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Over the next six decades, Goodall would become the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, and simultaneously architect a new vision for conservation, where protecting wildlife and empowering communities were inseparable and where tourism could be a force for good.
Her discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools became one of the twentieth century’s greatest scientific achievements. Goodall’s research revealed that chimps weren’t passive vegetarians but intelligent beings with complex social structures, distinct personalities, and emotional lives—challenging everything science believed about what made humans unique.
“We must now redefine man, redefine tool, or accept chimpanzees as human,” Leakey famously responded.
Jane Goodall’s work at Gombe pioneered what would become the framework for ethical primate tourism worldwide. The park, accessible only by boat and covering 35 square kilometers, established guidelines that balance wildlife protection with visitor access: strictly limited permits, one-hour visit restrictions, no physical contact unless initiated by the animals, and armed rangers accompanying all treks. Tourism revenue would directly fund anti-poaching efforts and habitat protection. This model transformed chimpanzee trekking into a sustainable industry across East Africa, supporting conservation while creating employment for local communities.
Goodall understood what many conservationists of her era missed: protecting wildlife without addressing human needs was futile. As she often emphasized, “Poverty alleviation is the key to conservation.”
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to support conservation efforts. By 1994, she launched TACARE, a revolutionary program empowering communities through sustainable livelihoods—including eco-tourism, beekeeping, and agriculture—recognizing local people as essential partners rather than obstacles.
This philosophy would prove transformative when Goodall met Bala Amarasekaran in 1993. The young conservationist from Sri Lanka who had settled in Sierra Leone as a teenager had just rescued a chimpanzee and didn’t know what to do next. “You’d just rescued a chimpanzee and asked me, ‘What do I do?’” Goodall recalled to Amarasekaran years later. “I said, ‘Well, you’ll have to start a sanctuary.’ It was kind of half a joke, but you took it seriously.”
Amarasekaran did take it seriously. By 1995, he and his wife Sharmila founded the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the hills above Freetown—Sierra Leone’s first and only chimpanzee sanctuary. What began as a half-joking suggestion has grown into a national conservation success story, now home to over 100 critically endangered western chimpanzees and the country’s premier eco-tourism destination.
“Jane inspired me to begin my journey with Tacugama, and she loved and celebrated all of our achievements over the years,” Amarasekaran explained. “A small seed she planted in me has grown into this massive tree with deep roots and far-reaching shoots. It fits so perfectly with her flagship program, Roots & Shoots.”
When I visited Tacugama in 2024 to report a feature for BBC Wildlife Magazine, I witnessed firsthand how Goodall’s vision had taken root. Walking the sanctuary with Amarasekaran, I received my introduction to chimpanzees and to the conservation model that now drives Sierra Leone’s approach to wildlife protection.
Through innovative community engagement, Tacugama works directly with local farmers, providing rice and agricultural support in exchange for protecting wild chimpanzees in their forests—a conservation structure envisioned by Goodall and implemented by Amarasekaran and his team.
Residents call their provisions “chimp rice” because they know it comes from having chimpanzees in their forest. It’s exactly what Goodall envisioned: a system where protecting wildlife directly improves human lives. The sanctuary provides employment for more than 200 people, supplies water to communities, and builds schools, proving that conservation and development aren’t opposing forces, but partners in progress.
The impact extended beyond the sanctuary itself. In 2019, Goodall returned to Sierra Leone, where she received the Order of the Rokel, the country’s highest honor. During that visit, the western chimpanzee was declared Sierra Leone’s national animal, and the country introduced visa-free arrival to boost tourism.
“She stood by my side when the chimpanzee was declared the National Animal of Sierra Leone and the face of our tourism,” Amarasekaran recalled. “We held hands tightly, both trying to hold back tears in front of the large crowd.”
Today, the chimpanzee appears on Sierra Leone’s passports, tourism publications, and tax labels. The Ministry of Education has included chimpanzee conservation and environmental protection in the national curriculum for primary education.
Tacugama embodies Goodall’s vision of conservation through community. The sanctuary offers eco-lodges nestled in the rainforest, educational programs for schoolchildren, and guided treks where visitors can observe rescued chimpanzees in forest enclosures. It’s a model that proves tourism, done right, becomes conservation.
“I’m devastated by Jane’s passing,” Amarasekaran shared. “No matter how well I tried to prepare myself, it’s difficult to accept that a true friendship nurtured over three decades has come to an end. But now it’s time to honor her values and wishes. She was always there for us—a guardian angel in the past, present, and future.”