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The government and conservation community of Sierra Leone are in mourning following the death of world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, whose pivotal role in establishing the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary cemented her legacy as a national conservation champion.
Dr. Goodall died of natural causes at the age of 91 while on a speaking tour in California, according to the Jane Goodall Institute.
President Julius Maada Bio led the tributes, expressing profound sadness at the loss of his “dear friend.”
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend, Dame Jane Morris Goodall,” President Bio wrote. “She will be remembered not only for her pivotal role in establishing the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary but also for her unwavering dedication to chimpanzee conservation.”
While Dr. Goodall rose to global fame for her groundbreaking chimpanzee research in Tanzania in the 1960s, her relationship with Sierra Leone began in the early 1990s. She provided crucial encouragement and support for the establishment of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which opened near Freetown in 1995 amid the nation’s civil war.
The sanctuary has since become a cornerstone of conservation in West Africa, rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned chimpanzees. Sierra Leone is home to approximately 5,500 wild Western chimpanzees, representing about 10 percent of the global population. Tacugama’s work in their protection is widely seen as a direct result of Dr. Goodall’s enduring vision.
Her influence on national policy was most visibly felt during her celebrated visit to Sierra Leone in 2019. Received as a hero, she was awarded the Order of the Rokel by President Bio. During that same visit, the government officially declared the Western chimpanzee as Sierra Leone’s national animal—a symbolic move that underscored the country’s commitment to protecting its natural heritage.
Dr. Goodall remained engaged with Sierra Leone’s conservation efforts throughout her life, most recently supporting the sanctuary’s 30th-anniversary celebrations.
Her passing marks the loss of a global icon, but for Sierra Leone, it is the loss of a guiding force who helped shape its conservation identity and left an indelible mark on its forests and national spirit.
