Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiwai Island has been officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, marking a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s biodiversity conservation efforts. This recognition is largely due to the tireless efforts of activist Tommy Garnett, whose decades-long dedication to environmental preservation has played a critical role in protecting this lush forest, which is home to one of the world’s highest concentrations of primates.
On Sunday, the announcement was made, and the 66-year-old Garnett expressed profound joy, relief, and hope. Speaking from the verdant surroundings of Tiwai Island, he reflected on the path that led to this point. The 12-square-kilometer island in Sierra Leone’s Moa River is not only a wildlife sanctuary, but also a symbol of resilience, having narrowly avoided destruction during the country’s brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002.
Tiwai Island and the adjacent Gola Rainforest National Park form the Gola-Tiwai complex, which is now Sierra Leone’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. This designation is critical as it highlights the extraordinary biodiversity found in the region, which has faced numerous threats, particularly from deforestation and habitat destruction.
Garnett’s conservation career began in 1992, when he founded the Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA). His efforts grew in the early 2000s, when he focused on the preservation of Tiwai Island. Despite numerous challenges, including the aftermath of civil war and the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Garnett and his team were able to prevent deforestation and poaching, allowing the wildlife sanctuary to thrive.
Tiwai Island is a biodiversity hotspot, with 11 species of primates, including the endangered western chimp, the elusive king colobus monkey, and the Diana monkey. Other remarkable species, such as the critically endangered African forest elephant and pygmy hippopotamus, call the island’s forests and waterways home. While the Gola Rainforest is Sierra Leone’s largest tropical rainforest, Tiwai is a vital biodiversity research centre and a popular ecotourism destination.
To protect Tiwai’s diverse ecosystem, EFA worked hard to engage local communities and persuade them to abandon forest-damaging practices. In exchange, the organisation helped to create jobs, train people, and provide technical agricultural support, fostering a long-term relationship between the community and the environment.
During the civil war, the island’s wildlife faced extinction, but Garnett, his NGO, and various donors banded together to restore the habitat. The situation was dire, with dilapidated buildings and conflict remnants littering the ground. Garnett recalls the critical need to raise awareness and funds to rehabilitate the area, saying, “We raised the alarm that this place was going.”
With the UNESCO designation, Tiwai Island’s future looks brighter than ever, as it now serves as a beacon of hope for conservation in Sierra Leone, thanks to Tommy Garnett’s tireless efforts.
