Latest news with #chimpanzee
Arab News
01-08-2025
- General
- Arab News
Sierra Leone chimp refuge shuts doors to tourists to protest deforestation
FREETOWN: The eco-lodges and tree-covered footpaths of West Africa's largest chimpanzee refuge have been devoid of tourists for more than two months as its founder stages a protest about rampant deforestation in Sierra Leone. Authorities acknowledge that the country's rich wildlife is threatened by land seizures and illegal logging, but the founder of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Bala Amarasekaran, says they have not yet done enough about it to convince him to reopen to visitors. 'A few months back, we could see the land grabbing and the encroachment coming closer to the sanctuary,' Amarasekaran said at the refuge, which is home to more than 100 mainly orphaned chimps and normally lets guests stay in its lodges. '(Deforestation) is really threatening the sanctuary's existence, because it's too dangerous when people come close to a wildlife preserve like this,' said Amarasekaran, who founded the refuge 30 years ago and has led it through crises including civil war and the 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic. Sierra Leone lost approximately 2.17 million hectares (5.36 million acres) of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, representing about 39 percent of the total in 2000, according to online tracker Global Forest Watch. The Western Area Peninsula, home to the capital Freetown and Tacugama, lost more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of tree cover during that same period. Amarasekaran said deforestation in the area was fueled by 'land grabbing' for development. The consequences of rapid deforestation were highlighted by a mudslide on the slopes of Mount Sugar Loaf in 2017 that killed an estimated 1,000 people. A 2019 paper published by the Geological Society of London blamed the incident on a mix of heavy rain, deforested slopes and unchecked construction. It said tree loss had weakened the soil's ability to absorb water and hold together, worsening the mudflow. 'It's a serious problem, an existential problem,' Sierra Leone's Information Minister Chernor Bah said. 'We regret that the Tacugama authorities have taken the step that they have taken to shut down here, but it's one that we understand.' Amarasekaran said President Julius Maada Bio's government had dispatched a task force to conduct some raids on illegal logging operations, but complained about a lack of follow-up operations. Bah said the government was committed to protecting the peninsula's forests.
Reuters
01-08-2025
- General
- Reuters
Sierra Leone chimp refuge shuts doors to tourists to protest deforestation
FREETOWN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The eco-lodges and tree-covered footpaths of West Africa's largest chimpanzee refuge have been devoid of tourists for more than two months as its founder stages a protest about rampant deforestation in Sierra Leone. Authorities acknowledge that the country's rich wildlife is threatened by land seizures and illegal logging, but the founder of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Bala Amarasekaran, says they have not yet done enough about it to convince him to reopen to visitors. "A few months back, we could see the land grabbing and the encroachment coming closer to the sanctuary," Amarasekaran told Reuters at the refuge, which is home to more than 100 mainly orphaned chimps and normally lets guests stay in its lodges. "(Deforestation) is really threatening the sanctuary's existence, because it's too dangerous when people come close to a wildlife preserve like this," said Amarasekaran, who founded the refuge 30 years ago and has led it through crises including civil war and the 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic. Sierra Leone lost approximately 2.17 million hectares (5.36 million acres) of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, representing about 39% of the total in 2000, according to online tracker Global Forest Watch. The Western Area Peninsula, home to the capital Freetown and Tacugama, lost more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of tree cover during that same period. Amarasekaran said deforestation in the area was fuelled by "land grabbing" for development. The consequences of rapid deforestation were highlighted by a mudslide on the slopes of Mount Sugar Loaf in 2017 that killed an estimated 1,000 people. A 2019 paper published by the Geological Society of London blamed the incident on a mix of heavy rain, deforested slopes and unchecked construction. It said tree loss had weakened the soil's ability to absorb water and hold together, worsening the mudflow. "It's a serious problem, an existential problem," Sierra Leone's Information Minister Chernor Bah told Reuters. "We regret that the Tacugama authorities have taken the step that they have taken to shut down here, but it's one that we understand." Amarasekaran said President Julius Maada Bio's government had dispatched a task force to conduct some raids on illegal logging operations, but complained about a lack of follow-up operations. Bah said the government was committed to protecting the peninsula's forests.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tonia Haddix found to be hiding another chimp
ST. LOUIS – The Missouri woman at the center of high-profile legal battles and controversies over exotic animal ownership, specifically chimpanzees, appeared in federal court on Tuesday, where it was learned she was hiding another chimp at her home. FOX 2 News has learned that authorities found the chimpanzee in the basement of her Sunrise Beach, Missouri, home, which she shares with husband Jerry Aswegan. The chimp was not registered. Haddix is not allowed to keep chimpanzees anymore as part of her bond conditions from prior cases. Haddix told the court she was not feeling well after an 'episode' that sent her to the hospital in Camden County. She said she was arrested in the hospital and felt well enough to sit through the hearing. She remained silent other than the explanation about her health. She was shackled at her hands and feet. Haddix will be back in court on Thursday afternoon for a bond revocation hearing. U.S. Marshals arrested Haddix, 55, on Saturday afternoon after a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge issued an arrest warrant, instructing law enforcement to detain Haddix and Aswegan for allegedly ducking financial sanctions levied against them. After being held by the Camden County Sheriff's Office, Haddix was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals on Sunday. Aswegan is still expected to be taken into custody at some point. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now In 2024, a federal court ordered Tonia Haddix and Jerry Aswegan to pay more than $220,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to PETA last year to end a lawsuit. Haddix and Aswegan gained national notoriety as the focus of the HBO docuseries 'Chimp Crazy,' which explored Haddix's actions and broader issues related to the private ownership of exotic animals. The docuseries is based on original reporting from FOX Files investigator Chris Hayes. Over the years, Haddix cared for the seven chimpanzees and bred them as talent for films and photoshoots, among other activities. These chimpanzees previously inhabited the Missouri Primate Foundation, a now-defunct animal breeding facility near Festus. Haddix's attachment to one chimpanzee, Tonka, sparked national attention in 2021. Tonka is a former animal movie star, appearing in films like the 1997 comedy 'Buddy.' At some point, Haddix claimed that Tonka had died when she instead had him locked in her basement. Animal advocacy groups like PETA said the many chimpanzees once under her care were unsafe and neglected. In 2020, Haddix and PETA came to terms as part of a consent decree, allowing Haddix to keep three of seven chimps in her care. Haddix later balked at the agreement, prompting a federal raid of her Festus animal facility in July 2021. Six chimps—not including Tonka—were removed and transferred to a Florida animal sanctuary. At the time, Haddix claimed Tonka was dead. But nearly one whole year later, Tonka was found caged in Haddix's basement in her Lake of the Ozarks-area home. That discovery prompted a new lawsuit from PETA, which contended that Haddix and her husband concocted an elaborate hoax when claiming Tonka had died, lied under oath about text messages she sent about Tonka at a time she previously deemed the chimp dead and tried to bribe federal marshals ordered to prevent Haddix from euthanizing Tonka. That lawsuit was supposedly settled in 2024, with Haddix and Aswego agreeing to a six-figure payout. However, PETA alleges the pair have failed to make any payments as part of the settlement and have not shared financial records. The St. Louis County judge's court order, filed July 17, said Haddix and Aswego have failed to appear at multiple scheduled court hearings. The judge scheduled a show cause hearing for Aug. 5 to provide an update on the matter. Meanwhile, Tonka now resides at the 'Save The Chimps' sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump's aid cuts leave ‘critical' Jane Goodall chimpanzee conservation project in crisis
A major chimpanzee conservation initiative in Tanzania supported by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has reportedly lost nearly $30m in US government funding. The five-year 'Hope Through Action' project, launched in November 2023 by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), aimed to protect endangered chimpanzees and restore their habitats through reforestation and community-led conservation. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded $29.5m (£22m) for the project, but is now pulling out amid president Donald Trump 's decision to cut most of the country's foreign aid funding. The Institute confirmed to The Independent that USAID's withdrawal came just 18 months into a planned four-year performance period for Hope Through Action (HTA). 'Overall, HTA was a continuation of a 20-year partnership with USAID to promote local governance and conservation of natural resources in western Tanzania,' Diana Leizinger, director of JGI Austria, told The Independent. 'The total amount awarded in 2024 to JGI to implement HTA was $29.4m. Programme expenses up to the termination of the award in March 2025 were $4.6m. The termination resulted in an immediate 2025 reduction in funding of $5.5m,' Ms Leizinger said. JGI warned that USAID's withdrawal could have wider ecological consequences. 'JGI's work in the region and the country have been fundamental to supporting generations of chimpanzees over the last 65 years of work in Tanzania, including the estimated 2,000 chimpanzees that live there today,' Ms Leizinger said. 'This critical capacity has led to the designation of 700,000 hectares (1.75 million acres) as district and village forest reserves and a 50 per cent reduction in deforestation rates in the target landscape when compared to a control area. 'It has been a key factor in restoring forests, watersheds and stabilising and protecting populations of wildlife such as chimpanzees, elephants, buffalos, and lions.' 'JGI is committed to moving forward in Tanzania with our partners, particularly at the community level, while seeking diverse sources of funding. The work in the Gombe region and Western Tanzania is too important to neglect.' Chimpanzees have become extinct in three African countries, and their population in the wild is 300,000, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Ms Goodall, who has championed chimpanzee protection for over six decades, has criticised Mr Trump's environmental policies in the past. Her conservation model emphasises collaboration between local communities and ecosystems, aiming to reduce conflict and promote sustainable development. Mr Trump cut USAID funds in January, saying the organisation that provides humanitarian aid abroad is 'not aligned with American interests'. The Trump administration is also poised to ask Congress for $8.3 billion in cuts to foreign aid efforts, which range from climate work to LGBTQ+ programmes, The Independent previously reported. The decision has derailed the projected end of the AIDS pandemic and means the number of AIDS-related deaths could jump from six million to 10 million in the next five years unless aid is reinstated. Data projections indicate there will be 3.4 million more orphans who have lost at least one parent to AIDS, and 600,000 more newborns could contract HIV by 2030. USAID funding was crucial for climate and environmental efforts around the world. Though the US only spent one per cent of its federal budget on foreign aid, it funded a quarter of all global support, data shows.
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Jane Goodall chimpanzee conservation project in Tanzania hit by USAid cuts
The US government funding cuts will hit a chimpanzee conservation project nurtured by the primatologist Jane Goodall. USAid has been subjected to swingeing cuts under Donald Trump, with global effects that are still unfolding. Now it has emerged that the agency will withdraw from the Hope Through Action project managed by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). USAid had pledged $29.5m (£22m) over five years to the project, which was designed to protect endangered chimpanzees and their habitats in western Tanzania. Launched in November 2023, the project is intended to protect endangered chimpanzees through reforestation and 'community-led methodology' in order to conserve biodiversity conservation and improve local livelihoods. Its work is built upon Jane Goodall's 'redefined species conservation' by highlighting the importance of cooperation between local people and the natural environment to protect chimpanzees from extinction. According to JGI figures, chimpanzees have become extinct in three African countries, and overall population numbers have fallen from millions to below 340,000. Goodall criticised Trump during his first term in office when he signed an executive order dismantling Barack Obama's clean power plan. She called Trump's climate agenda 'immensely depressing'. In collaboration with JGI Austria, Ecosia – a Berlin-based search engine that donates 100% of its profits to climate action – has offered $100,000 over the next three years to further TGI Tanzania's Gombe reforestation project. The donation far from covers the original funding amount, but it is intended to pay for the planting of 360,000 seedlings, work put at risk after the project was defunded. The director of JGI Austria, Diana Leizinger, said: 'We refuse to abandon people and nature. Where hope could have been destroyed, we are helping it grow again.' An analysis in April by Refugees International found that 98% of USAid's awards related to the climate had been discontinued. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion USAid was approached for comment.
