Western Area Forest Reserve
Encyclopedia
Western Area Forest Reserve, also known as the Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve, is a non-hunting forest reserve in Sierra Leone
. The area became a forest reserve in 1916 and has an area of 17688 hectare. It was demarcated by Charles Lane Poole
, Sierra Leone's first ever 'Conservator of Forests,' and founder of the Sierra Leonean Forestry Department. It is the westernmost semi-deciduous
closed canopy forest in Sierra Leone. The forest is home to various endangered species
, including a wide variety of endangered birds and Duiker
.
Despite its preserve status, the reserve has experienced devastating deforestation
, predominantly due to urban encroachment and related activities, a trend only exasperated by the civil war
.
There have been proposals to upgrade the reserve's status to a national park, and it is listed on some maps as the "Western Area National Park". Its status appears to remain "proposed".
for sale by the roadside north of the capital Freetown
. The couple bought the chimpanzee for $30 and soon discovered that many other chimpanzees are kept as pets and often mistreated. The sanctuary cares for these abused, orphaned and abandoned animals and offers them a new home, and as capacity becomes stretched, also educates among Sierra Leoneans about protecting chimpanzees in the wild. More than 2,000 local rural school children visit the 100 acres (40.5 ha) site every year.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. The area became a forest reserve in 1916 and has an area of 17688 hectare. It was demarcated by Charles Lane Poole
Charles Lane Poole
Charles Lane Poole was an English Australian forester who, introduced systematic, science-based forestry to Western Australia, was the Commonwealth's first Inspector-General of Forests and trained many of Australia's professional foresters at Australian Forestry School which he established in...
, Sierra Leone's first ever 'Conservator of Forests,' and founder of the Sierra Leonean Forestry Department. It is the westernmost semi-deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
closed canopy forest in Sierra Leone. The forest is home to various endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, including a wide variety of endangered birds and Duiker
Duiker
A duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
.
Despite its preserve status, the reserve has experienced devastating deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, predominantly due to urban encroachment and related activities, a trend only exasperated by the civil war
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
.
There have been proposals to upgrade the reserve's status to a national park, and it is listed on some maps as the "Western Area National Park". Its status appears to remain "proposed".
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
The Reserve is home to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary which was founded in 1995 by Bala Amarasekaran, seven years after he and his wife Sharmila saw a baby chimpanzeeChimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
for sale by the roadside north of the capital Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
. The couple bought the chimpanzee for $30 and soon discovered that many other chimpanzees are kept as pets and often mistreated. The sanctuary cares for these abused, orphaned and abandoned animals and offers them a new home, and as capacity becomes stretched, also educates among Sierra Leoneans about protecting chimpanzees in the wild. More than 2,000 local rural school children visit the 100 acres (40.5 ha) site every year.