Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is in crisis. And we need your help — now.

Since late May, we have been forced to close our doors due to severe and ongoing encroachment into the Western Area Peninsula National Park and Tacugama’s protected buffer zones. These illegal invasions threaten the safety of our sanctuary, our 123 rescued chimpanzees, and the forest they all call home.

Closing was a heart-breaking but necessary decision to protect the sanctuary and ensure its long-term sustainability.

Dr. Jane Goodall about the closing of our sanctuary on Sky News

Tacugama depends entirely on donations and visitor income to survive.

With no income from daily tours, we have lost a critical lifeline overnight. We have kept the ecolodges and hiking trails open, but they have not generated much revenue - likely because visitors primarily come to see the chimps.

At the same time, we have had to invest heavily in upgrading long stretches of our fencing due to wear and tear at the end of its lifespan, as well as implementing additional security measures to safeguard the sanctuary’s boundaries. We have received very limited support for fence maintenance over the years, and even though we do not have the means to fully cover the costs, we felt compelled to proceed with the repairs, as the current state of the fencing compromises the safety of both the chimps and the surrounding communities.

Despite government efforts to enforce regulations, progress has been slow, and the situation remains unstable. Tacugama has yet to receive a formal plan from the relevant ministry officials outlining how they intend to resolve the issue once and for all. This has been going on for far too long - the situation is no longer sustainable.

It is difficult to say how long the sanctuary will remain closed, as we have not received a concrete plan from the government. But we do know we urgently need your support.

We need $30,000 to cover essential operations for this month and the next two months.

Your donation will directly support:

- Daily food and vital medical care for the 123 resident chimps

- Maintenance, overhead, and standard operating costs

- Upgrades to end-of-life fencing and additional security measures

- Advocacy and media efforts to protect our buffer zones

We’re doing everything we can - but we can’t do this alone.

Tacugama isn’t just a sanctuary. It’s a symbol of hope - for wildlife, for conservation, and for the future of chimpanzees in Sierra Leone.

If you believe in what we do, now is the time to stand with us.

Donate now and be a part of protecting Tacugama, its chimps, and the rainforest they depend on.

From all of us at Tacugama, and from the chimps:

Thank you. Truly.

While we await advice from GoFundMe’s support team regarding how to edit or change text, we want to clarify that Friends of Tacugama is raising funds to support the Tacugama Sanctuary - not the other way around. Thank you for your understanding.