About 200 years ago when the people Tafi Atome migrated to their current area they carried with them their deity which revolved around the tortoise and the monkey. The monkeys are considered gods and are revered by the local community and protected by tradition.

In the 1990’s the USAID, Peace Corps, SNV and the then Ghana Tourist Board got involved with ecotourism. This spread across 14 tourism attractions which included Tafi Atome. Since that time Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary has become one of the top destinations in terms of revenue and community management.