Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Tchimpounga was set up by the Jane Goodall Institute in 1992 to take in chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat trade, and it has grown into the largest sanctuary of its kind in Africa, holding well over a hundred animals across a mainland site and three forested islands in the Kouilou river where groups live semi-wild. It sits within a reserve of savanna, forest and mangrove north of Pointe-Noire.

Highlights

• The island groups - chimpanzees living semi-wild on forested river islands.
• The mainland sanctuary - the facility that takes in and treats new arrivals.
• The scale - well over a hundred animals, the largest such sanctuary in Africa.
• The surrounding reserve - savanna, forest and mangrove around the site.

When to go

June to September is the dry season and the easiest for access. Visits must be arranged in advance. The sanctuary is a working facility, not a visitor attraction.

What to expect

This is a rescue facility and visits are restricted, arranged in advance and not always possible. Contact with the animals is not permitted for disease reasons. Casual tourism is discouraged.

Nearby

Pointe-Noire is south, and the Kouilou runs past it.