Standing in his Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary not far from the capital Freetown, he tenderly patted a young ape’s nose and stroked its cheek, whispering a few words of encouragement into its ear.
The chimps are not just Amarasekaran’s life and work, but his family too. Since 1995 he has fought for them, nurtured them and preserved the oasis he created for them against an onslaught of dangers.
In the face of armed rebel attacks during the country’s civil war, mass deforestation and even Ebola, Amarasekaran has ensured the chimps’ safety.
The little apes in the enclosure visited by Amarasekaran had only recently arrived following traumatic life experiences.
At the sanctuary, located inside the country’s Western Area Peninsula National Park, they will first be rehabilitated then freed into its dozens of hectares of protected tropical rainforest, already home to 123 primates.
Amarasekaran, a 64-year-old accountant by training, was by no means destined for a life protecting young apes.
Amarasekaran first arrived in Sierra Leone at age 17 from Sri Lanka.
“We took the chimp, otherwise he would have died,“ Amarasekaran said, and once home “we actually looked after him like a child”.
The couple was astounded by the ape’s emotions, and discovered that chimps had “the same kind of demands in terms of affection” as humans, Amarasekaran said.
Despite all the love, there could be “a lot of destruction”, Amarasekaran said.
“I was public enemy number one,“ Amarasekaran said with a laugh, often returning home to find bills for repairs from neighbours.
After a decisive meeting with renowned primatologist Jane Goodall in 1993, Amarasekaran secured funding from the European Union and a green light from the Sierra Leone government.
But that never happened.
Thanks to his awareness campaign, the government declared the chimpanzee the “national animal of Sierra Leone” in 2019.
Amarasekaran had to negotiate with the fighters to spare his staff and chimps’ lives.
The same system was also put in place for several months during Covid-19.
Faced with an alarming increase in deforestation and illegal encroachment on the national park where the refuge is located, Amarasekaran is taking drastic measures.
So far however, the government has not responded, and the financial consequences for the sanctuary, which depends on tourism and donations, are weighing heavily.
He had been particularly close with Bruno, Julie and Philipp, now deceased.
As AFP accompanied Amarasekaran around the sanctuary, a roar of excitement arose from an enclosure where some of the adults were gathered.
The adoring screeches seemed proof that the unique love Amarasekaran professed for his chimps goes both ways. - AFP
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