Tacugama

Tacugama Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Tacugama, Wildlife sanctuary, Congo Dam Access Road, Freetown.

Tacugama, more than a sanctuary!

• Chimpanzee Rescue & Rehabilitation
• Wildlife Protection & Conservation
• Education & Ecotourism
• Welcoming Volunteers & Interns

02/09/2026

Mariyam’s dress was created to bring together Sierra Leone’s history, culture, artistry and national identity. And seeing the chimpanzee take its place in that story, on a global stage, makes us incredibly proud. 🇸🇱🌍

Looking for a conservation job that takes you far beyond the office? 🌿We’re looking for an Education and Community Coord...
01/09/2026

Looking for a conservation job that takes you far beyond the office? 🌿

We’re looking for an Education and Community Coordinator to join our team in Sierra Leone.

This is a role for someone who believes that protecting chimpanzees and forests also means working with people.

At Tacugama, education and community engagement are an important part of our conservation work. From environmental education in schools and nature clubs to working alongside rural communities, supporting sustainable livelihoods and strengthening the skills of our outreach team, this role brings you right into the heart of conservation in Sierra Leone.

We’re looking for someone with a relevant Master’s degree, experience in education or community-based programmes, strong organisational and communication skills, and, perhaps most importantly, the adaptability and curiosity to work in a very different environment.

It won’t be your average job.

But if you want to use your skills somewhere they can make a very real difference, this might just be the adventure you’ve been looking for. 💚

📍 Tacugama Sierra Leone
📅 Start: ASAP, no later than 1 October 2026
🌿 Minimum commitment: one year
📩 Apply with your CV and cover letter: [email protected]

Know someone who would be perfect for this? Please share this post with them.
👉🏽 https://www.tacugama.com/jobs/

31/08/2026

Two legs? No problem. But it’s not their preferred way to travel. 🐵

Chimpanzees can stand and walk upright on two legs, just like us, but usually only for short distances. Most of the time, they move around on all fours using their knuckles, known as knuckle-walking.

So why suddenly walk upright?

Sometimes there’s a very practical reason. A chimp may be carrying food or another object, trying to keep their hands free, moving through water or simply wanting a better view of what’s going on around them.

Walking on two legs is just one small part of their incredibly varied way of moving through their world. They climb, swing, knuckle-walk, run and occasionally stroll past on two feet as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

Have you ever seen a chimpanzee walking like this? 💚

30/08/2026

Three little orphans. One big milestone. 💚🌿

This week, something very special happened at Tacugama: Stacey, Tunde and Kakua are finally going to Forest School together!

Kakua’s quarantine period is over, which means our three most recently rescued orphans can now spend their days together.

And their first days are already showing us just how different three little chimpanzees can be. Tunde and Kakua are throwing themselves into forest life, climbing, exploring and making the most of their new adventures.

Stacey is taking things a little more slowly.
For now, the safest and best place in the entire forest is still firmly attached to her human surrogate mother. And that’s absolutely fine.

For young rescued chimpanzees, Forest School isn’t a race. They arrive with different traumas, different personalities and different levels of confidence. Some are ready to explore almost immediately, while others need a little more time and reassurance before they venture further.

Welcome to Forest School, Kakua, Tunde and Stacey! 🌿🐵💚

Gold beneath the forest… but at what cost? 🌳⛏️Our bio-monitors documented this artisanal gold-mining activity inside a p...
26/08/2026

Gold beneath the forest… but at what cost? 🌳⛏️

Our bio-monitors documented this artisanal gold-mining activity inside a protected area.

The impact on forests, waterways and wildlife habitat can be considerable. But there is another side to this story: for people with few alternative ways to earn an income, artisanal mining can be an important livelihood.

And that means simply saying “stop mining” isn’t enough.

Long-term conservation has to address the reasons these pressures exist in the first place.

Through the Nature-Nourishes Territorial Approach for Local Development project, funded by the and implemented in partnership with the WFP | World Food Programme , we combine bio-monitoring with community engagement and support for alternative, sustainable livelihoods.

Protecting forests isn’t only about keeping people out.
It is about finding ways for people and nature to have a future together. 🌿

25/08/2026

Spotted in the Loma Mountains…

Our camera traps captured these beautiful pardine genets (Genetta pardina), a small carnivore native to West Africa, including Sierra Leone. Pardine genets are mainly active at night, which means they can be surprisingly difficult to spot in the wild.

Monitoring in Loma Mountains helps us learn which species are there and how wildlife is using this important protected landscape. And every now and then, the cameras give us a rather lovely surprise. 💚

23/08/2026

Want to support Tacugama in a way that keeps giving? Become a Chimp Guardian. 💚

One-off donations can make an enormous difference, but guardianships give us something especially valuable: steady, ongoing support we can count on for the daily care of the rescued chimpanzees.

And in return, you get to follow one of them much more closely.

Three times a year, our Guardians receive a special update about their chosen chimp, filled with stories, photos and little details from their life at Tacugama.

And right now, we are busy writing the next round of updates, which will be sent out in early September. ✍🏽🐵

Today, we’re putting Chicha in the spotlight.

Gentle, curious and growing more confident all the time, Chicha has become a wonderful young chimpanzee to follow. Her friendships, her personality and the small changes her caregivers notice along the way are exactly the kind of things we love sharing with her Guardians.

A guardianship helps us provide reliable care, while giving you the chance to be part of one rescued chimpanzee’s story over time.

Maybe Chicha could be yours? 💚

Find out more about becoming a Chimp Guardian via the link in our bio of follow the link: https://www.tacugama.com/product/chicha-guardianship/

It’s the middle of the rainy season in Sierra Leone, so please spare a thought for our rangers. 🌧️🌿Day after day, they w...
21/08/2026

It’s the middle of the rainy season in Sierra Leone, so please spare a thought for our rangers. 🌧️🌿

Day after day, they work tirelessly to protect our forests and wildlife, navigating flooded roads, river crossings and challenging conditions to keep doing their vital work.
Here are a few recent glimpses from the field, from rangers in Jaibui Island to Outamba-Kilimi National Park, and all the wild places in between.

A huge thank you to UNDP Sierra Leone for supplying our Biomonitor team in Loma Mountains National Park with essential raingear. 🙏🏾

And a special shout-out to the all-female biomonitoring team in Loma, pictured in their new UNDP-sponsored, bright orange coats in the final photo. 🧡

Rain or shine, they keep going. 🌧️💪🏾🌳

Rescue Anniversary | Kouze 🍀In August 2005, two-year-old Kouze arrived at Tacugama after being confiscated from an offic...
20/08/2026

Rescue Anniversary | Kouze 🍀

In August 2005, two-year-old Kouze arrived at Tacugama after being confiscated from an officer serving with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone.

Now, 21 years later, Kouze is known for his remarkable intelligence - and for being one of Tacugama’s most notorious escape artists! 💚

Over the years, Kouze has escaped several times, often finding remarkably clever ways to outsmart the very systems designed to keep him safe. In 2013, he even figured out how to use a stick to climb over a fence without touching the electric wires!

His cleverness also shows in everyday interactions with his caregivers. If Kouze decides he doesn’t want to return to his den, there’s little chance of convincing him otherwise. His favourite food might be waiting inside, but if he knows someone is watching, he won’t fall for it. For Kouze, it seems to be all part of the game.

Luckily, he also puts that intelligence to good use. Kouze is very cooperative during husbandry training, voluntarily participating in behaviours that allow our team to carry out important health checks using positive reinforcement.

And his favourite enrichment? A mirror. 🪞 Kouze can spend hours admiring himself!

Earlier this year, we renovated his High Security enclosure, and since then Kouze has been regularly enjoying access to its outdoor area.

Today, we celebrate 21 years since Kouze’s rescue — and one exceptionally intelligent, resourceful and unforgettable chimpanzee. 🐵💚

Happy rescue anniversary, Kouze!

Address

Congo Dam Access Road
Freetown

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+23231777777

Website

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