Lwiro Primate Fund

06/06/2026

Tired of spending millions (or billions) to harden our towns and cities against the extreme weather we all are experiencing? DRC's forests are an irreplaceable ally in mitigating these extreme effects.

06/04/2026

Our team at the Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center is taking no chances. With Ebola spreading in eastern DRC, LPRC has put strict biosecurity protocols in place: a reduced staff is quarantined within the sanctuary to minimize outside exposures, and all food and bedding is disinfected before distribution.

The 200+ chimpanzees and monkeys in our care depend on this vigilance every single day.

Mongabay just published a detailed look at how LPRC is responding. Read it on our website, along with what you can do to support the team right now.
🔗 https://www.lwirofund.org/news

05/26/2026

While we continue to navigate an already extremely difficult security situation in eastern DRC, we are now also facing an additional concern: a confirmed case of Ebola in the Lwiro area.

We want to reassure everyone that all animals and staff at the sanctuary are currently safe and in good health.

As a precaution, we have immediately reinforced strict prevention measures and temporarily confined the sanctuary. A dedicated team of 15 staff members is remaining on-site to ensure continuous care for the animals while limiting all external contact.

We have strengthened hygiene protocols, restricted access to the sanctuary, and are closely monitoring the health of both staff and animals.

Maintaining these emergency measures, while continuing to provide daily care for over 200 rescued primates, is placing additional pressure on our already limited resources, particularly for food, hygiene supplies, and staff support during confinement.

Our priorities remain unchanged: protecting the chimpanzees and other rescued wildlife, ensuring the safety of our team, and maintaining operations under these exceptional circumstances.

These are very difficult times, as we are facing both insecurity and a health threat, but the commitment of our team, working day and night on-site, remains unwavering.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity during this critical time.

05/21/2026

Tour the sanctuary in just 60 seconds.

05/19/2026

An excellent short video primer on the importance of One Health, from Kahuzi Biega National Park (English subtitles). The spread of ebola in eastern DRC makes an already difficult situation even more so. Please don't forget the dedicated staff, and the animals they care for, at Lwiro Primates

05/15/2026

A very sad day at the sanctuary, as the war continues to take its toll.

Today, we share the heartbreaking news of the sudden passing of our dear colleague, Bisimwa 💔

Bisimwa was a dedicated keeper at Lwiro for nearly 20 years. His commitment and kindness touched the lives of everyone around him—both people and the animals he cared for so deeply.

He passed away unexpectedly following a heart attack, leaving behind a profound void in our team and our Lwiro family.

We will remember him for his unwavering dedication and the love he showed every single day.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who knew him. Rest in peace, Bisimwa. You will never be forgotten.

04/21/2026

Earth protects them. They need us to protect it.

The Congo Basin is the world's second-largest tropical rainforest — a carbon sink that helps regulate the climate for all of us. It is also home to eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ssp. schweinfurthii), forest-dwelling monkeys, and hundreds of other species found nowhere else on Earth.

At our sanctuary in eastern DRC, we care for 227 rescued primates — animals seized from poachers and wildlife traffickers, pulled from a forest that is shrinking under the weight of conflict, extraction, and displacement.

This Earth Day, "Our Power, Our Planet" isn't an abstraction for us. It's the daily work of keeping these animals alive while the ecosystem around them fights for survival, too.
The Congo needs defenders. So do the animals who call it home.

🌍 Learn how you can support the work: www.lwirofund.org/our-sanctuary

03/25/2026

What does it take to keep 227 rescued primates safe and fed during a period of intense conflict and inflation?
It takes a food budget of over $1,900 every single week.
It takes adapting on the fly so that closed roads and no-go zones don't mean a single missed meal.
It takes a global community of supporters who make it all possible.

We've detailed the financial reality and the story of our resilience in an exclusive "2025 Year in Review." See the full picture of your impact:
https://www.lwirofund.org/2025-review

03/22/2026

In the middle of a war, our animals will still eat.
We are deeply grateful to the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) for an emergency grant to feed the 227 chimpanzees and monkeys at Lwiro Primates .
Eastern DRC is at war. Fighting has reached our local communities. Food and fuel prices have skyrocketed. And yet our team shows up every day to care for these rescued animals — because someone has to.
IPPL's grant will fund four weeks of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains — nearly 20,000 individual meals — purchased from local women farmers who are also struggling to survive.
Thank you, IPPL. This is what primate protection looks like in practice.
Learn more about IPPL's work at ippl.org

03/18/2026

Even as war surrounded the sanctuary, our 53 local staff members showed up every single day, showing exceptional resilience and commitment despite the personal risks.
Their dedication is the reason we were honored with the GFAS Outstanding International Sanctuary of the Year Award for 2025. This is a testament to their professionalism and unwavering commitment to providing the best possible care, no matter the challenges.
This award belongs to them, and to every one of you who supports them. Learn more about their incredible work in our exclusive "2025 Year in Review."
https://www.lwirofund.org/2025-review