A Reforestation Mission Like Never Before!

Two weeks ago we kicked off a huge reforestation project in Sierra Leone — planting 100,000 trees inside the Western Area Peninsula National Park. The original plan was 2 months, but thanks to combined community strength, we completed it in just 3 weeks!

Since our reopening on November 1st, our team and partners have already planted 75.000 trees across the bufferzones! And yesterday we hit 100.000 trees during tree planing at Sugar Loaf Mountain.

This is a true community-powered movement. Together with the Regent Community, schoolchildren, Roots & Shoots members, our outreach team, and many more local heroes, we’re restoring one of Sierra Leone’s most precious ecosystems. Every tree species is carefully selected to support long-term forest recovery and biodiversity.

This ambitious project is part of the Sustainable and Integrated Landscape Management of the Western Area Peninsular National Park Project (WAP) and made possible by UNDP in Sierra Leone , @Global Environment Facility (GEF), the @ministryoftourismca_sl and @Ministry of The Environment and Climate Change.

Klicka på och ladda ner denna länk för att läsa hela rapporten. https://www.transfernow.net/dl/202510161sgUEqyy/czUraopy

Sweden Chimpanzee Trust har sänt i väg en donation på
10 700 sek = 1140 USD till reservatet J.A.C.K.
Vill från djupet av mitt hjärta tacka er alla som varit med på denna insamling för de små traumatiserade schimpanserna som inkommit till reservatet.
Pengar som jag lovar gör skillnad!

Bifogar kvitto på överföring från mitt konto till Sweden Chimpanzee Trust.
Bifogar även kvitto på överföring av 1140 USD till J.A.C.K.

Tack för att ni finns därute med omtanke och kärlek.
Stor Kram / Ing-Marie ❤️

THEY ARE IN GOOD HANDS

Three baby chimpanzees, three lives in sanctuaries

Not so long ago, I told you about three baby chimpanzees that J.A.C.K. was monitoring from a distance. Three young females whose families had been decimated by poachers; three orphans who had been confiscated in two different regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since late May – early June 2025, Franck, Dr Calvin (our veterinarian), and I have been closely following their journey, setting up feeding plans, enrichment activities, and veterinary care.

The big news is that these three little ’girls” were recently entrusted by the Environmental authorities to sanctuaries, giving them a real chance at survival.

Thus, ”Dodo,” rescued by African Parks with the help of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and monitored by J.A.C.K. in Garamba National Park, has now joined a sanctuary in western DRC.

As for the other two, intercepted by the African Wildlife Foundation and the ICCN at the border with the Central African Republic while a trafficker was preparing to illegally smuggle them out of the country, they were entrusted to J.A.C.K. in southern DRC.

These females, now named Lucy and Tami, endured deep trauma: chained and bound for the illegal trade, it took them more than two weeks to accept the comforting presence of their surrogate mothers. Today, as they discover the sounds and scents of other chimpanzees, they are finally beginning to understand that they are safe. Step by step, they are regaining trust, playing, holding on tightly, and rediscovering tenderness.

Once their quarantine is complete, Lucy and Tami will join Fwa, Sana, Bere, and Kindu to begin the next stage of their rehabilitation. We can’t wait to see them getting up to playful mischief together!

Our new little protégées will soon be featured on the sponsorship page of the US-based organization, FRIENDS OF JACK PRIMATE SANCTUARY, and every form of support will help them on their path toward healing and a dignified life.

Before closing, I want to give heartfelt thanks to everyone who, in one way or another, took part in these two missions.

Thanks to the commitment of the authorities and sanctuaries, Dodo, Lucy, and Tami now have a new future ahead of them.

Together, let’s keep offering them this second chance!

This Monday morning, we feel just like our chimps: unstoppable.

Since June, our gates have been closed to visitors. Not because we gave up, but because we refuse to stand by while the forest around us is being stolen—burned, cut, and grabbed. When the forest falls, we fall with it.

In February, the World Food Programme confirmed what we see every day: the Western Area Peninsula National Park has already lost one third of its forest. Last year alone, 715 hectares vanished—1,330 football fields of life, gone. At this rate, two-thirds could disappear by 2035. That’s not just trees. That’s water, safety, chimpanzees, and people’s lives at risk.

We know this pain too well. In 2017, when Mount Sugar Loaf collapsed after the forest was stripped away, nearly 1,000 lives were lost.

But closed doors won’t silence us.

🐵 Inside, care continues for 123 chimpanzees.
📻 On the airwaves, we raise awareness daily—demanding action and amplifying conservation voices.
🥾 On the ground, we invite locals on weekly free hikes—to see, to feel, to understand why this forest must be protected.
🌍 Beyond our gates, our outreach work across Sierra Leone’s national parks goes on.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with local groups and call on our leaders: no more short-term fixes. We need real protection, real reforestation, real action.

Our sanctuary may be closed. But our hearts, our voices, and our fight are wide open.

Fick i dag ett trevligt meddelande om en utställning i Skutskärs bibliotek.
Där ställer Erica Pedersen ut sina tavlor där en tavla är ett porträtt av mig och min älskade Santion. Även schimpansen Selma finns med i utställningen.
Selma skottskades i det fruktansvärda dådet i Furuviksparken.
Om någon köper porträttet av Santino och mig lovade Erica att donera de pengarna till Sweden Chimpanzee Trust.

Jag blir varm i hjärtat att jag fortfarande får så mycket kärlek och uppskattning av mitt arbete för schimpanser.

Tack Erica hoppas många besöker din utställning.

Själv ska jag (hoppande på kryckor) besöka utställningen i morgon 11.00
Hoppas vi ses där ❤️

Sharing our challenges, commitments, and continued hope.

💚 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