Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Bright Ideas in Travel 2024

"In 2025, the team behind the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary will open a set of low-impact ecolodges on Jaibui Island in southern Sierra Leone. Jaibui is a research site for the organization, founded by Bala and Sharmila Amarasekaran, which has been working in conservation and animal welfare for decades. Tacugama already operates ecolodges at its sanctuary just outside the capital of Freetown, which is now home to more than 120 chimpanzees rescued from poachers and illegal pet operations. Proceeds from the lodges, as well as guided hikes and birdwatching tours, support work like creating sustainable livelihoods—that are not reliant on deforestation or poaching—in places where humans and chimpanzees live in proximity. Back at the sanctuary, construction is underway on their Innovation Centre and Botanic Gardens, projected to open in 2026."