Co-Founder
Dr. Andrew Halloran
Dr. Halloran, in addition to founding the project, operates the Elgin Center, providing expertise and consultation on animal welfare and behavior. He is considered one of the leading experts in primatology and has authored numerous papers, books, and textbooks. Visit his website below for more information.
Co-Founder
Dr. Tina Cloutier-Barbour
Dr. Cloutier-Barbour currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Animal Care and Welfare at the Dallas Zoo. She is also the SSP Coordinator for Chimpanzees and the SAFE Program Leader.
Field Manager
Amara Conteh
As the field manager, Amara connects with the five partnering villages to support their needs. He also oversees all the bio monitors and helps in the field as needed.
Bio Monitor & Chief of Marockie
Ibrahim Kamara
Bio Monitor
Khalifa Koroma
Bio Monitor
Abu Fofanah
Bio Monitor
Alfa Conteh
Bio Monitor
Abass Kamara
Field Volunteer and Social Media Coordinator
Rebecca D. Muscat
Rebecca has volunteered with the project since 2023. She also works at Save the Chimps, a sanctuary in Florida for rescued chimpanzees.
In Loving Memory
Abu B Akarr Sesay
Abu, the former Field Manager for the project, was a loving and selfless man. He would do anything for those involved with the project, the chimps, and anyone he cared about. With any guests to the site, he welcomed them graciously and always offered a friendly and welcoming environment. He listened to the needs of the villages and his team with an open heart and attempted to find ways to make everyone happy. He left behind a loving wife and family, and many friends. Although gone too soon, Abu will never be forgotten.
Site Cook and Tacugama Field Officer
Samuella Matifa Mbayo
Samuella has worked as a cook for the Tonkilili Project since 2017. She was inspired and learnt from Dr. Halloran about chimpanzees and conservation, deciding to go to college for agriculture business. Now, she works for Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary as a Field Officer, still helping the Tonkilili Project when she can.