Monkey Business

Well, apes, actually.  I must confess that I've lived 34 years without knowing the difference between monkeys and apes.  Our guide at the Tacugama chimpanzee sanctuary outside of Freetown was only too happy to explain the difference.  Actually I didn't even ask, which leads me to believe that perhaps I'm not the only who was unsure of the difference.  Monkeys have tails, apes don't.  Who knew?

The Tacugama chimpanzee reserve was officially established in 1995, although the founders had been working towards it for a number of years (you can find the full story here).  The purpose of the reserve is to provide a safe home for orphaned and endangered chimpanzees.  Many chimps are orphaned as a result of poaching and the illegal animal trade (more info here). 

We had a wonderful time and learned an incredible amount of information both about chimpanzees and the rehabilitation process.   

Our little ape (and a big one, too)