The donation, part of which came from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, will expand the sanctuary and pay for electric fencing to encircle it, allowing 30 formerly caged chimpanzees to roam free across the 1,500-hectare (3,800-acre) enclosure.

The decade of rebel war that raged in Sierra Leone until 2001 virtually wiped out the primate populations, sending seven species including the incredibly rare western chimpanzee to the brink of extinction.

Speaking at a ceremony Friday in the forested town of Regent, some 15 kilometers (10 miles) west of the capital Freetown, US ambassador Peter Chaveas said by making a commitment to saving wildlife, Sierra Leone could make a profitable post-war mark as an eco-tourism destination.

With its white sand beaches and lush jungles, Sierra Leone was an exotic destination in the 1970s, though only traces remain in wind-whipped beachside restaurants and hotels, each bearing the tell-tale strafing by automatic weapons.

China has made the first inroads towards revitalizing the tourism industry with a 266 million-dollar investment in a luxury hotel and boardwalk complex to transform Freetown's ocean-front Lumley Beach area.

China is also planning to open a direct air link with Freetown, and has opened negotiations to begin sending goods to Sierra Leone, one of the world's poorest countries, by sea.

TERRA.WIRE