According to the caretakers, feeding the centre’s large number of chimpanzees and monkeys has become increasingly difficult.
The ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese military has significantly hindered the centre’s financial resources.
Luc Itongwa, Deputy Director of Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center, said, “Currently, we have 127 chimpanzees and 118 small monkeys. We are essentially forcing the situation to feed them. The director is not here, and she’s sending whatever she can to feed the animals, but it’s not enough; everything has really stopped due to the war.”
The M23’s advancement into South Kivu province, the location of the Lwiro centre, has also caused distress to the primates.
Caretakers have reported hearing gunfire from the centre.
Jean Bisimwa Cirimwami, one of the caregivers, mentioned that the animals would refuse to eat normally after being distressed by the sounds of gunfire.
“When the animals hear gunfire, they also start hiding, they start yelling. They even want to run away, to escape,” he said.
The conflict has been exacerbating the situation for civilians in DRC in recent months.
Since January, when M23 commenced its rapid advancement into North Kivu province, more than 7 million people have been displaced.
The conflict is now one of the largest humanitarian crises on the African continent.
