Tacugama Chimpanzee Reserve

Wow, what a cool place! Way up in the hills beyond Regent there’s this small, secluded chimp reserve where they rehabilitate and reintegrate into the wild 90-odd chimps rescued from “live trade” (as pets). It’s kind of like primate Jurassic Park – and one time, the chimps even escaped when the electric fence was down and killed one person. Seriously. Jurassic Park. With monkeys. I am not a fan of monkeys (freaky, people-wannabes) but even I was excited and impressed by the place. And they seem to have really dedicated staff and good facilities. During the war, one of the chimps and at least one of the staff died, but things seem to have improved since then. The place doesn’t have any government funding, but it is supported by numerous wildlife trusts, etc. If you ever find yourself in Freetown, definitely plan for a trip up there: the ride up through the mountain jungle alone is worth it (take a 4x4!). They even have a lodge where you can stay overnight.