Inside the DRC’s safe haven for endangered primates

A passenger looks at the hills of South Kivu from a boat bound for the city of Bukavu

Conservation authorities have created a safe haven for threatened chimpanzees and several other species of monkey. Orphaned by poaching, saved from the pet or bushmeat trade, rescued primates are often traumatised and medically vulnerable. Here, an orphaned baby chimpanzee rests in a tree at Lwiro Primate Centre in Lwiro, South Kivu. Chimpanzees rescued from poachers are cared for by human caretakers to provide a simulation of their natural behaviour

Gari, a rescued chimpanzee, waits for feeding time at his enclosure at Lwiro Primate Centre. Gari survived capture by poachers for sale into the pet trade, but some of his family were killed and sold for bushmeat

A group of chimpanzees at Lwiro Primate Centre in Lwiro, South Kivu

A picture taken with a drone shows a clearance fire set by local farmers in the province of Kwilu. Clearance of natural bush and forest is a factor threatening DRC’s unique wildlife

Jango, a rescued chimpanzee, at Lwiro Primate Centre

A group of orphaned baby chimpanzees at Lwiro Primate Centre

Two chimpanzees groom each other at Lwiro Primate Centre

Caretaker Ephraim Ngiribwa tends to baby orphaned chimpanzees at Lwiro Primate Centre.

‘As a caretaker, I watch them, make sure they don’t fight, I watch for disease and problems’, says Ephraim Ngiribwa. ‘It’s step by step; we create a friendly atmosphere amongst them, they have to get used to one another and learn to be a new family.’

Rehema Lushombo stands in front of a chimpanzee at Lwiro Primate Centre. Lushombo, a caretaker who works with chimpanzees too old for regular direct human contact, says: ‘Our job is to create good relations with them, they’ve been in hazardous situations, poachers have killed their families in front of their eyes and caught them, they fear people. When I notice any sickness or problem I inform the veterinarian … we enter the cage in a group to treat them.’

Espoir Watukalusu (right) throws fruit to juvenile chimpanzees in their enclosure at Lwiro Primate Centre. The rescued chimpanzees at the centre are tended to by hand until they reach juvenile age, when they are housed in large enclosures to simulate natural forest

Felix, a baby chimpanzee with sight issues is seen at Lwiro Primate Centre. Felix was rescued from poachers, a common occurrence in DRC, where unique species are threatened by factors such as deforestation and poaching for the pet and bushmeat trades

Caretakers treat a red-tailed monkey at Lwiro Primate Centre

Mwamini, a red-tailed monkey, is seen at Lwiro Primate Centre. This species is spread throughout DRC and the region, but is still vulnerable to deforestation, and poaching for the pet and bushmeat trade

Caretaker Simon Ngabo with a red-tailed monkey at Lwiro Primate Centre. ‘The centre is very important for the region and community; [it] sensitises the community to protect animals and fight against poaching. The poachers, before taking a small chimp, will kill the mother and father. This remains in their minds and affects them emotionally in their daily life.’

A juvenile Hamlyn’s monkey in an enclosure at Lwiro Primate Centre. The Hamlyn’s monkey is a rare species, found mainly in eastern DRC, and a prime example of a unique species threatened by the bushmeat and pet trades

Primate caretaker Amisi Ndukura feeds Maisha, a Hamlyn’s monkey, at Lwiro Primate Centre

A grey-cheeked Mangabey monkey at Lwiro Primate Centre. The species is listed as having a vulnerable conservation status, threatened by factors such as deforestation and poaching

A group of chimpanzees at Lwiro Primate Centre. After the chimps reach juvenile age, interaction with the centre’s caretakers is no longer possible and the chimpanzees live in large enclosures