Chimp extinction has many causes; Lwiro’s programs have many responses

There are many factors driving the chimpanzee toward extinction, so no single solution will solve the problem. Fortunately, Lwiro Primates runs multiple programs to conserve wildlife, drive the local economy, improve community health and education, and build local veterinary capacity.

Conserving wildlife:

Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center (LPRC) provides food, veterinary care, and shelter to chimps, monkeys and other animals confiscated from poachers and illegal wildlife traffickers. LPRC rehabilitates the animals, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The number of chimpanzees in the world is dropping rapidly, but releasing rescued chimps to safe areas, in a carefully planned program, can slow that decline. That is the goal that drives LPRC’s dedicated staff every day.

LPRC currently cares for 130 eastern chimpanzees (an endangered species); 110 monkeys spanning 17 different types (some classified as vulnerable or threatened); and other animals. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is home to 90% of the world's remaining eastern chimpanzees, making it the most important country in the world for the survival of the subspecies. Unfortunately, at current rates the population of eastern chimpanzees will decline by more than 50% by 2055, unless we act.

LPRC is ideally situated to take that action. Strategically located near prime chimpanzee habitat in Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), LPRC was created to provide a safe sanctuary for chimpanzees and monkeys rescued from unlawful poaching and trafficking. LPRC has met that need for over 20 years, working closely with DRC’s environmental authorities. LPRC’s animal population increases each year as the authorities bring more and more rescued animals there.

LPRC is the only primate sanctuary in DRC accepting all species of confiscated wildlife. For example, LPRC is currently caring for 40 African grey parrots, also an endangered species. Over the last several years, LPRC has successfully released 107 grey parrots in KBNP, after nursing them back to health. Wildlife traffickers generally cut the parrots’ wing feathers to prevent them from flying. LPRC staff cared for the parrots for months while they rebuilt their strength and regrew their feathers, before releasing them back to the wild.  They are now flourishing in KBNP.

LPRC is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, and is a member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance.

Driving rural economic activity:

LPRC spends $1,700 each week on food for the 290 animals in its care. The animals eat 4 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables every week. LPRC buys all of that food directly from local farmers and from local markets. LPRC injects $7,000 of sorely needed hard currency into the local economy every month.

LPRC also employs 60 residents of nearby communities, some of whom have worked at LPRC since it opened in 2003. LPRC provides health insurance to all of its staff.

These consistent purchases and stable employment allow area residents to make their livelihoods by sustaining the animals, rather than by bushmeat hunting or wildlife trafficking. LPRC’s conservation work directly benefits the people in the surrounding area.

Empowering women: 

Sadly, the DRC has been torn by civil war and conflict for years. The violence scars both people and animals. But fortunately, the rehabilitation work at LPRC runs both ways too. In addition to providing employment for women, LPRC provides psychological support and reintegration for women victims of the kidnapping and sexual violence that are all too common in conflict areas within DRC. These survivors are a core part of LPRC’s team. You can learn more about this aspect of LPRC’s mission by watching the award-winning documentary “Mama,” presented by The New Yorker magazine.

Educating communities:

LPRC has been educating people about the value of wildlife and the dangers of poaching and animal trafficking since 2012. LPRC runs “Roots & Shoots” after-school programs, developed by Jane Goodall, for approximately 70 children each year. It regularly delivers lessons at schools in the communities near KBNP. Government officials, traditional leaders, and others visit the center to consider and discuss the importance of wildlife conservation to Congo’s future. LPRC’s multiprong education efforts reach several thousand people each year.

Building capacity:

Since 2017, LPRC’s veterinary department has trained African veterinarians in wildlife veterinary medicine. The veterinarians also learn laboratory testing methods by analyzing samples from the animals and from staff and area residents. They test for diseases that infect animals and people, such as tuberculosis, improving the health of both the animals and the communities. To date, 27 veterinarians from six African countries have completed the program, increasing the number of veterinarians trained in this field.

 You can help:

LPRC accomplishes all of this on a shoestring budget: safeguarding and rehabilitating African wildlife threatened with extinction; improving the lives of people in surrounding communities; and educating present and future leaders of DRC, one of the most environmentally consequential countries on Earth. Please consider whether these accomplishments deserve your support.