Animal Care
Ben
Loretha
John
Ben is a graduate from the Forestry Training Institute. After absolving a one year internship here he now became a permanent member of the team. Ben is interested in the release of wildlife into protected areas. From the day he started caring for animals he fell in love with the Sooty mangabeys due to their character. Ben is always enthusiastic, willing and able to help with everything that happens at the sanctuary and also he is a great tour guide.
John
Loretha
John
Over the course of his year-long internship in 2023, John developed a deep fascination for our parrots; through the countless hours spent caring for them, he became captivated by their intelligence and complex social behaviors. When he isn't with the birds, John keeps the team’s spirits high with jokes and dances.
Loretha
Loretha
Elizabeth
Loretha is the newest addition to our team. She first joined us as an intern, and after proving her dedication, she officially moved into a staff role in late 2025. While her favorite animals are the crocodiles, she spends most of her days providing expert care for our baby pangolins and monkeys. We are thrilled to have her energy and commitment at the sanctuary.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a dedicated member of our team since 2023 who brings both harmony and hard work to the sanctuary. She has a natural gift for working with our monkeys and manages their feeding schedules with great responsibility. Whether she is caring for our residents or lending a hand in the kitchen, Elizabeth’s versatile and helpful spirit makes her an essential part of the Libassa family.
Chancy
Elizabeth
Chancy
We knew Chancy was right for the sanctuary the moment we saw him rescue a snake from a chasing crowd. His natural protective instinct defines his work as a caretaker today. Chancy has a particular bond with our duikers and antelopes, a passion rooted in his childhood experience of raising a pet goat.
Maintenance & Kitchen
Peter
Peter
Peter
Peter, aka muscle man, is our longest employee. He has been with the sanctuary since its creation in 2017. Always in good spirit, he is responsible for the maintenance of our facilities as well as providing water for all animals multiple times a day.
Joshua
Peter
Peter
Joshua manages the sanctuary's housekeeping and daily food preparation. His work in the kitchen involves cooking beans and meticulously cutting the various fruits required to meet the specific dietary needs of each animal. He is responsible for ensuring all meals are prepared correctly and maintaining the cleanliness of the facilities.
Management
Love - Veterinarian
Love - Veterinarian
Love - Veterinarian
Love gained international exposure to wildlife medicine before graduating in Malawi, which strengthened her passion for conservation. She went on to become Malawi’s first female veterinarian at Lilongwe Wildlife Trust and built broad experience across clinical practice, research, and academia. After moving to Liberia in 2023 to work with chimpanzees, she joined our team in late 2025, bringing strong expertise in wildlife medicine, research, education, and animal care.
Finn - Director
Love - Veterinarian
Love - Veterinarian
Originally from Germany, Finn Tenhünfeld holds a M.Sc. in Conservation Management, with a multidisciplinary academic foundation in Applied Biology, Biomedicine, and Ecology established across multiple European institutions. His research background includes investigating indigenous land use in the Amazon and human-wildlife conflicts in Tanzania. With a specialized focus on the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental stability, he serves as the Director of Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary, integrating global scientific research with the practical execution of wildlife rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation.
Founders & Patrons
Rudolph & Lisa Antoune
Rudolph and Lisa Antoune launched the Sanctuary in 2018, building on years of personal animal rescue work. As the Founders and Permanent Patrons, they serve as the organization's strategic and moral guardian in a permanent advisory role. Together, they leverage their hospitality expertise to foster wildlife awareness among tourists, ensuring the protection of Liberia’s biodiversity.
Board of Directors
Julie Vanassche
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
After a decade as a great ape zookeeper in Belgium, Julie moved to Liberia in 2016 to help establish the Libassa Wildlife Sanctuary. She served as its Director from 2017 to 2021, transforming it into a vital haven for victims of the illegal wildlife trade. Currently, she is the Country Director for the Tikki Hywood Foundation in Cameroon, focusing exclusively on pangolin rescue, rehabilitation, and release.
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp is a One Health researcher who has worked in Liberia for over a decade. She is a DVM/PhD candidate at Oregon State University, integrating veterinary medicine, disease ecology, and wildlife conservation to advance the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Her work focuses on wildlife-associated pathogens and spillover risk while strengthening research infrastructure and supporting local training and education in Liberia.
Steven Janssen
Bonnie Dighero-Kemp
Steven Janssen
Raised in the Belgian countryside, Steven studied veterinary medicine at Ghent University before specializing in wild animal health in London. Global experience in zoos and research projects shaped his pragmatic approach to conservation. He now applies his expertise as the World Parrot Trust’s rescue coordinator for Africa.