A trip to the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre in the Congo

Jacha and Gwyn visited this amazing place to see for themselves the work they are doing to help orphaned primates.

In November Jacha, Gwyn and a good friend of theirs – wildlife photographer Shannon Hinson-Witz took a photography trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The first stop on their trip was to Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Centre which is situated 40km north of Bukavu, the province capital of South Kivu in the DRC.

Lwiro is a sanctuary for primates orphaned by illegal hunting and the bushmeat trade. They work closely with the Congolese government and the local community and currently care for 66 chimpanzees and 80 monkeys of 11 different species. Lorena and Itsaso run the sanctuary with 46 Congolese employees helping them care for all the animals.

Lorena and Itsaso’s mission at Lwiro is to provide the best possible care for orphaned primates in the DRC, while working to ensure their protection in the wild.

Jacha, Gwyn and Shannon spent a few days at the sanctuary photographing the animals and learning all about the fantastic work that Lorena, Itsaso and their team are doing. It was such a privilege for Jacha and Gwyn to visit this special place, they have both left a piece of their hearts there.

Jacha has taken some beautiful shots of the animals at Lwiro, he will be adding them to the collection of his work on display at the Platform Galeri very soon.

If you would like to visit Lwiro, or make a donation to help then please visit their website for all the details you need.