Stakeholders of the Chimpanzee Conservation Monday held a sensitization programme, for Awareness Strategy Validation Workshop at the British Council Hall Tower Hill.

Rev. Cannon Ajaie Nicol noted that deforestation in Sierra Leone is as a result of the activities of people in the past.

He cited the illegal human activities presently going on at the botanical garden at Fourah Bay College where research could be carried for scientific proposes as one area that has been severely affected by deforestation.

Chimpanzee Conservation programme Manager, Torjia Kamara advised chimpanzees should not be used as pets at home or be hunted in the forest as they too have rights to live and that they should be well taken care of , to increase their number.

He noted that before now it was a crime to hunt these animals and that currently not many of them are found in the world.

"If the people do not change their attitude towards these animals, there would be in the future no wildlife left, which is a big loss to the nation." The meeting resolved that much awareness raising needs to be done for the public to know the need for protecting these animals, in newspapers, radio, and Television.