Dr Goodall was decorated by President Julius Maada Bio with the award of the ‘Order of the Rokel of the Republic of Sierra Leone’, according to a statement from the presidency.
The honor, which is Sierra Leone’s highest and most prestigious decoration, recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves by making valuable contributions to the country. Dr Goodall is said to be one of a small number of non-Sierra Leoneans to have received the award in recent times.
The British anthropologist, who is a United Nations ‘Messenger of Peace’, was instrumental in founding the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary which is located in the outskirts of the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown. The establishment of Tacugama makes Freetown the only capital city in the world where one can come in contact with chimps.
Considered as the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall’s work has an extensive coverage, to as far as Gombe in the western Kigoma Region of Tanzania in East Africa.
Dr Goodall, who arrived in Freetown on Wednesday, was scheduled to leave on Friday. Her three-day tour of the country was packed with events, including a tour of the Tacugama sanctuary, press interviews and a State Dinner hosted by First Lady Fatima Bio. Goodall was also scheduled to partake in a speaking engagement hosted by Ministry of Tourism. On Friday, she addressed 300 children and the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer.
A statement released ahead of her arrival in the country said Dr Goodall’s tour of Sierra Leone highlighted the emerging conservation movement in the country as well as the country’s re-emergence on the world stage as a sustainable tourism destination.
The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, established 27 years ago, plays a critical role in protecting the country’s rich biodiversity, two of Freetown’s main water catchments and the critically endangered
chimpanzees.
Since its establishment, the sanctuary has become internationally recognized, benefiting the local population through jobs, wildlife protection, environmental education, ecotourism, research and health initiatives. The sanctuary is notably credited for saving the country’s remaining chimpanzees, which dwindled partly as a result of the 1991-2002 civil war.
Dr. Goodall’s visit also comes at a time when wildlife tourism, conservation, and sustainability are taking a center stage in global tourism discourse. Officials say her stature as a world-leading-conservationist therefore provides an important global platform for the West African country’s growth as a new tourism destination.
“The visit will showcase the country’s sustainable tourism offerings and increase awareness of the need for conservation of these critically endangered species. It will also highlight the clear link
between conservation and sustainable tourism,” the statement says.
President Bio, at the award ceremony held at State House earlier on Thursday, thanked the British anthropologist for her service to Sierra Leone. He said her experience had taught the world about the
relationship between human beings and the environment.
“I will join my colleagues who are active in supporting wildlife around the world. Thank you so much for accepting our honour,” Bio said. The president used the occasion to reiterate the need for education in the preservation of the environment, lamenting that there were a lot of environmental degradation around the world as human activities impacted negatively on the environment.
For her part, the recipient of the honor remarked that her recognition provided a reason for hope to nature in the country. “A reason for hope is that young people are beginning to help people,
animals and the environment because they are all interrelated. As individuals, we are beginning to use our brains every day to think about how we can leave as huge an ecological footprint as possible. We have to give nature a chance and nature will come back,” she said.