Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary

Tiwai Island, which means Big Island in Mende, is renowned for its flora and fauna and has at least 11 species of primate including pygmy hippo; crocodiles; red, black and zebra duikers (a type of small antelope); chimpanzees, diana monkeys; black and white colobus monkeys; red colobus monkeys and olive colobus monkeys. There is also a large selection of birds including the white breasted guinea fowl.

Researcher, John Oates was looking for monkeys when he found this lush island sandwiched between the Barri and Koya chiefdoms. It can be reached from both sides of the Koa river - from Bo to the village of Kamba on the Barri Chiefdom side and from Kenema to the village of Mapuma on the Koya side. The villagers will take you across by boat.

The Tiwai Primate Project, as it was first known, attracted many visitors before the war and the island was constituted as a wildife reserve in 1987. Now that peace has returned to Sierra Leone it has be rebuilt through the efforts of the Environmental Foundation of Africa (EFA) and Njala University College (NUC) with funding support from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund/Conservation International.

A research station is being reconstructed and trails are being bushed for visitors and scientists who are interested in studying various animals and plants in their natural habitat. People in the surrounding villages have taken an active part in the work and are now welcoming their first visitors. The project will eventually be handed over to the local communities who will run the sanctuary with some expert advice and guidance.

Visitors will be able to sleep at the visitor centre on the island in tents ready for an early morning trek to see the animals. They can also enjoy river trips to study the birds.

Cecilia Utas (left), Information Co-ordinator for the Environmental Foundation of Africa (EFA) joins visitors trekking in the forest and on a river trip.

See also Tachgama Chimpanzee Sanctuary