Sierra Leone: Tacugama Founder Concerned Over Land Encroachment In The Sanctuary, Calls On Government For Intervention

By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma

The Founder and director of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary Bala Amarasekaran has expressed concerns  over the increasing encroachment of the country’s only chimps sanctuary thus urging the Sierra Leone government to intervene and to protect  one of the nation’s treasure.

Speaking to journalists during a media tour to the sanctuary, Bala Amarasekaran revealed that, over 300 acres of land have been encroached into the chimpanzee sanctuary alleging that most of the encroachers are public and military officials and other law enforcement officers in the country.

‘’It is something we should be proud of. This is the place for the national animal and we must protect it. Tacugama is the number one place for any tourist coming into the country,’’ he said.

He said that every Sierra Leonean should be proud of the sanctuary as it is the destination for every foreigner coming into the country thus urging the Ministry of the Environment to protect the rich biodiversity for future generations to come.

‘’The chimpanzees as you are probably aware it is our national animal. It is matter of taking ownership. We need to make sure because this is a home for the animals. The Ministry of environment must protect this place. Ministry of Water Resources must protect this place. We have the forestry department they most protect this place. So is Environment Protection Agency (EPA), they shouldn’t allow anybody to come here building houses within the catchments,’’ Bala Amarasekaran urged.

Bala Amarasekaran said that owing to the challenges and encroachment the sanctuary is facing , he sometimes feel that he has wasted twenty-eight years (28) of his life thus calling on every patriotic citizens and the media to  continuously raising issues affecting Tacugama and the encroachment issues.

‘’For me I establish the sanctuary 28 years ago and I am beginning to feel that I have wasted my life for 28 years because there is no safety. I am running around every minister pushing to get this place protected what happens when I drop tomorrow. This entire place will diminish. So I feel sometimes I have wasted all my years. I think it up to all of you to raise this concern. You can play a big role as a journalist,’’ the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary founder stressed.

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary founder added that the sanctuary is a government project stating it is not Bala’s programme saying the chimps place was established by the ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security under the forestry and wildlife department from seed money from the European Union.

‘’ We have patrol guards here, we have the National protected Area here, and they are monitoring this area all the time. Last year, Ministry of Lands deployed soldiers here. Every name that is coming up in the recent encroachments is soldiers. Does it makes sense if people build houses close to the sanctuary it is even dangerous. These are wild animals. Supposed there is a problem or a mistake. We need to have the space. If you like countries like Rwanda or Kenya when you have a wild reserve, they create a buffer zone between 2-3 kilometres,’’ Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary founder added.

The Chimpanzee Sanctuary founder added that, the sanctuary is planning to establish a botanical garden at Fourah Bay College, stating that a 200 acres and it is going to be part of an innovation centre funded by World Bank and Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Tourism on Sierra Leone diversification project.

‘’This innovation centre is for the youths where we have a world class cinema, an amphitheatre where you can have your. All this happening here it will be a waste if the environment is destroyed. ‘’

Meanwhile the country’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in a joint public notice that their ministries is alarmed at the rate of illegal human activities going on within the water catchment areas in the Western area and the Western Area peninsular National park .

‘’The attendant consequences of the drop in the water budget in all the water reservoirs in the western Area and depletion of the forest cover is having serious socio-economic consequences  for our citizens in the western Area ,’’ the joint  public notice stated.

‘’Considering the impact of these activities on the water budget in the Western Area for our citizens, the two ministries are putting out this joint public notice to warn off all citizens involved in such practices to stop forthwith,’’ the Joint public notice added.

However, the water resources and environment ministry have banned the cutting down of trees, farming, house development, charcoal burning within water catchment areas in the Western Area with immediate effect.

‘’The following human activities are prohibited and banned within water catchment areas of the Western area peninsular National park with immediate effect.  Farming, cutting down of trees within the forest reserve, lighting of bush fire within the water catchement in the Western Area and Western Area Peninsular National park, charcoal burning, fire wood cutting, and house development,’’