💚 A heartfelt thank you to #FixTheNews – @thenewsfix 💚

We are deeply grateful to independent media company Fix The News for shining a spotlight on Tacugama’s urgent situation in their Annual Giving Edition — and to the 100+ generous readers who responded by donating to help our chimpanzees in need🙌

Fix The News has been a loyal supporter of our work. Thanks to their help last year, two young orphans — Esther and Koba — received critical care and are now thriving:
🌿 Esther has graduated from forest school
☘️ Koba is successfully integrated into a nursery group

This year, your support is helping us weather an even bigger storm. With tourism revenue halted due to illegal encroachment near the sanctuary, your donations provide essential care — from immune-boosting vitamins to warm ginger tea — for our 40 youngest rescues during the challenging rainy season.

Your voices, your platform, your compassion — they matter.
Thank you for standing with Tacugama!

ChimpanzeeConservation #Tacugama #FixTheNews #WildlifeSupport #Gratitude #ImpactThroughGiving ##RainySeasonCare #SierraLeone

𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧
June 26th, 2025

We look back on a beautiful evening, surrounded by people who support our work in so many ways. A heartfelt thank you to our host, 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗴𝗮𝗻 and our guest of honor, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗹

The on-stage conversation between her and our founder, Bala, was not only inspiring but also hilariously touching — full of memories from over 30 years of friendship 💚

We were honored by the presence of representatives from the UK and Sierra Leone High Commissions — your support means a great deal to us.

A big thank you as well to Braimah and Aminata Kanneh-Mason for their stunning musical performance 🎻

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us. Your presence gives us strength in these challenging times.

I𝐧 𝐋o𝐯i𝐧g M𝐞m𝐨r𝐲
We closed the evening with a tribute to Sidikie Bayoh, our dear colleague who tragically passed away. This night was held in his honor.

You can still place your bids in our 𝙊𝙉𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀 𝘼𝙐𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉!
The auction has been extended until July 11th, 8 pm UK time — there are still some amazing items up for grabs! Don’t miss your chance to place a bid and support our cause.
➡️ https://tacugama.charityhive.co.uk/auction

𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟑𝟎!

Join us for an unforgettable evening in London with Dr. Jane Goodall to celebrate 30 years of protecting chimpanzees, preserving rainforests, and empowering communities in Sierra Leone.

𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 : 26 June 2025
𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, London
𝑯𝒐𝒔𝒕: Peter Egan (Downton Abbey)
𝑲𝒆𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆: Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄: Braimah & Aminata Kanneh-Mason
𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Renato Granieri (NatGeo Grand Prize Winner)

Expect an evening full of inspiration, music, impact stories, drinks & canapés – plus a special auction with incredible experiences to bid on!

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭!
Don’t miss this once-in-a-decade celebration – grab your ticket now by scanning the QR code in the image or clicking the link below.
➡️ https://tacugama.charityhive.co.uk/tickets/3/

Can’t attend in person?
No worries! Our 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is open to supporters everywhere – bid on exclusive items today and help make a difference from anywhere in the world.
➡️ https://tacugama.charityhive.co.uk/auction

Questions or want to get involved another way?
Reach out to our UK representative Aram Kazandjian via Aram@tacugama.com

Let’s make this a night to remember – For the chimps. For nature. For all of us.

The Tacugama Team

Now more than ever, we must recognize our deep and inherent interconnectedness with nature. 🌿
Whether we see it or not, we are entangled with the natural world around us—and what happens to it, happens to us.

Our relationship with the natural world should be reciprocal rather than extractive. If we want to continue taking water, timber, and benefit from ecosystem services including a vibrant eco-tourism economy from nature, we must in turn give back to nature by protecting our precious environment.

Though our sanctuary remains indefinitely closed, our mission is far from over. Across Sierra Leone, we continue vital outreach projects that tackle the root causes of environmental degradation: from education and sensitization to alternative livelihood support, reforestation efforts and forest monitoring.

But we cannot do this alone.

We call on the public, the government, and all stakeholders to stand with us in this fight for a greener future. Conservation is not a side issue—it affects all of us.

If we want to protect Sierra Leone’s rich biodiversity, we need more than grassroots efforts. We need top-level action, strong enforcement, and structures that protect what is left and restore what has been lost.

Let’s work together—for nature, for our communities, and for generations to come. 🌍💚

ECO-Tourism Hub

The journey toward a sustainable future demands creativity, new solutions, and bold alternatives that work for both people and the planet.

We’re proud of our friends at @lunsarcycling for championing a sport that not only promotes a greener mode of mobility but also helps build a cycling culture that inspires healthier, more connected communities. The energy in Lunsar during the recently concluded Tour de Lunsar was electric—a true reflection of how cycling is becoming a way of life.

Beyond the race, events like these support local pride, boost ecotourism, and shine a light on Sierra Leone’s potential for sustainable recreation. As part of our ongoing collaboration, we were thrilled to see our beloved Bruno toy once again awarded as a symbolic trophy—representing the shared values of resilience, community, and conservation.

Put a smile on a kid’s face by ordering a King Bruno toy from our website https://www.tacugama.com/product/toy-for-kids/

support conservation with every purchase!

TourDeLunsar #SustainableSierraLeone #CycleForChange #EcoTourism #GreenMobility

Tacugama goes Catalunya!

This weekend, @catalunyaradio interviewed our founder for their program #solidariscatradio about the founding of Tacugama, our 30th anniversary this year 🥳🙌 our successes, and the challenges we’ve faced and face today.

The radio station was founded by none other than the famous musician @pemifortunyoficial from the band @laxnbustooficial and Nobel Peace Prize candidate @Yasminacanovas2022.

We are thrilled to have hosted them and hope that many Catalans will learn more about Tacugama!

❤️ Friends Hold Hands ❤️

Because flowers wilt, chocolates melt… but a chimpanzee guardianship? That can be forever!

This Valentine’s Day, give a gift that truly lasts – a guardianship for a rescued chimpanzee! 🐵💞

Visit our website to choose from 13 amazing ambassador chimps at Tacugama.

➡️ https://www.tacugama.com/product-category/adoption/

Today, a large delegation from the Chinese Embassy visited Tacugama, including the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Wang Qing.

We are very pleased with their interest in our work and look forward to strengthening our relationship.

chineseembassysierraleone

Exciting news! We recently held our first community screenings of our in-house wildlife trafficking TV series, More Life, across five communities in Tonkolili, reaching over 1,000 people! We were happy to see children singing along to the More Life theme song!🙌

Thanks to the incredible support from @pasaprimates and the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the series highlights the crucial role of law enforcement in protecting wildlife, especially when it comes to chimpanzees being kept as pets or hunted. 🐵⚖️

Our outreach team has been working tirelessly, not only with screenings but also with the maintenance of camera traps in the forest—which help us to monitor wildlife and gather essential data. 📸🌳

In addition, students in the Tacugama Kids and Environmental Education Program (TKEEP) are taking action by creating a school garden, promoting environmental sustainability, and fostering a deeper connection with nature. They are planting pepper, okra and jute leaves. 🌱✨

A huge thank you to support from @goapefoundationnl and Shikar Safari Club International, for supporting our efforts to protect wildlife and inspire change. Together, we are making a difference! 💚

MoreLifeSeries #WildlifeProtection #CommunityOutreach #Sustainability #TKEEP #ChimpConservation #TogetherForWildlife #PASA #INL #ShikarSafariClub #ProtectOurPlanet

At Tacugama, we believe that educating young minds is key to addressing conservation challenges. Through our Kids Environmental Education Program, we engage children in schools across Sierra Leone, including Pujehun District, in communities close to the breathtaking Moa River. This area is home to unique species like pygmy hippos, Jentink’s duikers and chimpanzees.

Thanks to support from @goapefoundationnl our team is gearing up for another monitoring and evaluation trip to the region. We’re also thrilled about the ongoing development of our ecotourism hub on Jai Bui Island, which sits majestically on the Moa River.

You can help us continue this vital work by donating to support our education programs, joining our guardianship program, or simply sharing this post to spread the word about conservation in Sierra Leone. Every action counts in protecting wildlife and inspiring future conservation champions. Together, we can make a lasting difference!

Tacugama #EnvironmentalEducation #FutureConservation #ProtectWildlife #MoaRiver #ChangeStartsWithKids