Britain carved out the country that became Sierra Leone (Declaration of the Protectorate, 1896) during the former's empire building era. To succeed, colonisation needed to supplant the traditions and social structures that had formed the basis of social order, cohesion and stability in the region. At various levels of governance, new and alien structures were put into place. In confrontations between the invading colonisers and indigenous peoples, capitalism and rugged individualism replaced communalism among newly created elites. Pre- and post independence policies in areas such as education, economics, culture, politics and religion were characterised by inequity and maximisation of profits from exploitation. In most cases, inadequate consideration was given for the needs of the majority of citizens. Throughout Sierra Leone's history, the inequities on which the country was founded have never been acceptable to the silent majority, feeding societal tensions and setting the stage for eventual armed conflict.

Independent Sierra Leone's first military coup took place in 1967, followed by a countercoup a few days later. A third coup took place in 1968. The country was declared a republic in 1971, and a one-party state in 1978. The first shots of the current civil conflict were fired in March 1990, and this war has continued for over a decade, outliving five governments in the country. It has caused the internal displacement of huge sections of the population, paralyzed the economy by ravaging areas of high economic activity, and rendered the country ungovernable, with a consequent breakdown in law and order. These realities have taken their toll on conservation efforts in the country and on biodiversity.