AR-News: Sierra Leone Chimpanzee Sanctuary Receives US Government Grant

[Shirley McGreal]

<http://www.terradaily.com/>TERRA.WIRE

Sierra Leone chimp sanctuary gifted by US government
FREETOWN (AFP) May 21, 2004

The United States on Friday donated 77,000 dollars to Sierra Leone's 
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary for habitat restoration aimed at saving seven 
endangered primate species in the tiny west African state.

The donation, part of which came from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 
will expand the sanctuary and pay for electric fencing to encircle it, 
allowing 30 formerly caged chimpanzees to roam free across the 
1,500-hectare (3,800-acre) enclosure.

The decade of rebel war that raged in Sierra Leone until 2001 virtually 
wiped out the primate populations, sending seven species including the 
incredibly rare western chimpanzee to the brink of extinction.

Speaking at a ceremony Friday in the forested town of Regent, some 15 
kilometers (10 miles) west of the capital Freetown, US ambassador Peter 
Chaveas said by making a commitment to saving wildlife, Sierra Leone could 
make a profitable post-war mark as an eco-tourism destination.

With its white sand beaches and lush jungles, Sierra Leone was an exotic 
destination in the 1970s, though only traces remain in wind-whipped 
beachside restaurants and hotels, each bearing the tell-tale strafing by 
automatic weapons.

China has made the first inroads towards revitalizing the tourism industry 
with a 266 million-dollar investment in a luxury hotel and boardwalk 
complex to transform Freetown's ocean-front Lumley Beach area.

China is also planning to open a direct air link with Freetown, and has 
opened negotiations to begin sending goods to Sierra Leone, one of the 
world's poorest countries, by sea.


Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
POB 766
Summerville SC 29484, USA
Ph. 843-871-2280: Fax: 843-871-7988: www.ippl.org

"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because
we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and
all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish
and play around. Dolphins believe that they are
smarter for exactly the same reasons."
         --Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy