Current State of the Chimpanzee Pet Trade in Sierra Leone

Abstract

I investigated the current state of the chimpanzee pet trade in Sierra Leone by analyzing data collected on chimpanzees received at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The country was once a major exporter of live chimpanzees to the United States, Asia, and Europe. Even after international laws restricted the trade of chimpanzees, the practice continued within Sierra Leone, leading to the establishment of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in 1995. The sanctuary currently houses 82 chimpanzees, 80% of which were ≦ 3 years old upon their arrival. Although about 45% of chimpanzee owners were expatriates, the price of pet chimpanzees and the intention of local owners to sell chimpanzees indicate the role played by expatriates in the pet trade as buyers. My analysis indicates that more than half of chimpanzee owners are prepared to give up their pet chimpanzees, suggesting that the number of buyers could be reduced through a well-designed sensitization program about wildlife laws and the problems related to keeping chimpanzees as pets.