Tiana's lens

Growing up in Freetown, I heard tales about the male chimp Bruno who escaped from his sanctuary. The details I got were very sketchy given the fact that I was still young and most information I got was passed down to me from one family member to the other, usually in order of our ages. Those were the days without the beauty of the internet and so there were no pictures or videos for me to watch and gain more knowledge.

It really is no secret that Sierra Leone is home to a vast amount of widlife. Given the extensive amount of dense forest enveloping the entire country. That my generation and generations before mine grew up to stories of witty animals with human like qualities (folktales) only served to engrain the presence of these wonderful animals into our minds.

Sadly due to a number of causes, deforestation and illegal hunting being paramount, some of these animals have become seriously endangered. Some of these animals have lost their homes, their lives and this terribly hurts the balance in the ecosystem as we see in present day Sierra Leone. Possibly the most hurt in the wildlife category of Sierra Leone has been the Western chimpanzees. A species of chimpanzee found in the forests of Sierra Leone. Where Sierra Leone has approximately 10% of the remaining of an estimated 170,000-300,000 chimps still living globally. Note that chimps are naturally found througout equatorial Africa.

In a bid to help with the rapid decline of the chimpanzees, early this year during the return visit of renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, it was declared that the Western chimpanzee is now the official animal of Sierra Leone. A good venture in itself, but still the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary receives a good number of orphaned chimps weekly, several months after!

It might be a lack of thorough sensitization, or based on the fact that we cannot orally communicate with these animals, or that we act the way we do because we are unaware of the consequences. Whatever the reasons might be, it remains unchanged that we should try as best as possible to leave the wildlife where they are supposed to be, the WILD. So, to make it easy here are five reasons to love the national animal of Sierra Leone/Western Chimpanzees

1. To communicate with each other, chimps clap their hands, make facial expressions, kiss and even embrace each other. This brings about a sense of community amongst themselves.
2. We (humans) share the largest D.N.A similarity with chimpanzees. It is as close as 95-98%.
3. Apart from humans and some type of birds, chimps are the only other animals who make and use tools.
4. Chimpanzees are mainly omnivores, but you can catch them eating termites, insects or just anything they seem to fancy.
5. Lastly, though they can recognise themselves on a mirror, chimpanzees do not like to get themselves wet or swim.

As we move about this week think about the quote below:

Seizing one’s creative freedom is like adopting a chimpanzee and forcing it to live outside the jungle. You may think you’re helping, but rather defeating their purpose of existing. You are not free until you can freely pursue your life’s purpose.

Drizilik

Sources

• http://www.savethechimps.org
• http://www.chimpsworld.com
• http://www.janegoodall.org.uk