Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre

”To provide the best possible care to the orphaned primates in DRC, while working to ensure their protection in the wild”

Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre, otherwise known in French as Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro (CRPL) was founded in 2002 by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and the Centre de Recherché en Sciences Naturelles (CRSN). The primate sanctuary is located in Lwiro Village, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) four kilometers outside UNESCO listed Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

Lwiro is home to 55 chimpanzees and 75 monkeys from 10 species including Olive baboons, Yellow Baboons, Owl-face Monkeys, L’hoesti Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Red-tail Monkeys, Mona Monkeys, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Vervet Monkeys, and Allen’s Swamp Monkeys. The sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates confiscated primates from the illegal bushmeat and pet trades, with the hopes of reintroducing suitable individuals back into the wild if and when their habitat is considered safe.

Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre is the only primate sanctuary in the DRC that is able to accept chimpanzees and all species of monkeys. Please support their valuable work by visiting their official website and learning more about their ongoing projects. Their volunteer program is in place however if you’re interested, you should discuss with them any current safety concerns about working in the region.