The primary objective of Tacugama is to enforce the wildlife laws of Sierra Leone and provide a safe and natural haven for rescued chimpanzees.

Most chimps that arrive at the sanctuary are less than five years old. Many are mistreated by their owners, injured, malnourished or disabled; they have been abandoned or illegally sold as pets. In most cases the mothers, and sometimes the family, have been hunted as part of the illegal bushmeat trade or as a result of human-wildlife conflict and their young have been sold as pets by the poachers. All of the chimpanzees arriving at Tacugama have suffered some kind of mental trauma as a result of the separation from their families and many come with physical injuries such as wounds from shotgun pellets or machetes.

Tacugama offers rehabilitation in stages to the chimps. Tourism to the sanctuary directly supports the chimps and staff. Jane Goodall visited, and endorsed the work at Tacugama many times in her life. Learn the intense history of this 100-acre sanctuary on a guided tour.