Chimps in Lwiro
On the dusty and bumpy road, it took us one hour to get there: The Lwiro Sanctuary. A huge complex of never-ending offices of different sections kept a gloomy feeling from its old glamorous days under colonial Congo.
Officially know as CRSN (Centre de Recherches Scientifiques et Naturelles), it was built by the Belgians in the 50s and hosted a number of expatriate researchers in wildlife and scientific topics. The sanctuary section hosts primates of different kinds that abounded in the Congo basin. A part of the complex is dedicated to the most incredible exposition I ever saw and that I shall call, not without reason, ‘the museum of the dead’. (see next post)
Initially we came to visit the Lwiro sanctuary that I’ve heard about for quite some time, where 21 chimpanzees and around 15 other kinds of small primates cohabitate, not on trees in the surrounding forests, but in relatively small cages, in the hope, one day, of being reintroduced in their natural habitat.
We arrive there in the company of Liz, my colleague, who has been working in close relationship with the Center’s management and supporting them financially and morally through individuals or institutional donations that come her way. In poor rural Congo, the primates in the sanctuary are perceived as free meat rather than look-alike ancestors.
As soon as we get there we are greeted by the invariable sound of chimps lacking affection. They jump and make crazy sounds so we could notice them individually. The young ones, some of which are less than one year old, are in small cages two by two. The seven middle-aged ones (2 to 4 years old), are in a separate enclosed space where they get fed, shit, and sleep everyday. They do not go out. Six others, older in case are in a separate enclose, enduring the same conditions.
The younger ones are released to play from time to time, as they are not dangerous yet, and here they are released and wander around provoking us during the time of our visit. Two of them do not leave each other, they are the youngest, including Kam, 6 months old, who is the last ‘refugee’; they hold each other by the waist and walk slowly with their back bent, like an old couple that has endured a lot that they can only rely on each other. They seem afraid of other chimp that are buzzing around, competing for our attention and cuddles.
Commentaires sur Chimps in Lwiro
- Quel retrouvail mon DieuJe ne sais pas si je rêve ou pas, je crois que non. Il s'agit bel et bien de Kizito Mukendi avec qui nous nous sommes separé voici 28 ans et grâce à la magie du net, nous nous retrouvons. Je suis effectivement Bashonga Mugunda ton collegue de Lwiro, je suis à Goma. J'ai à présent toutes tes coordonnées et le contact maintenant ouvert.
- IRS LWIROBonjour Mr Bashonga. Je m' appelle Ngely Kisoka Lubula, je suis nee et grandie a Bukavu, mariee et mere de 5 enfants. J' aimerais savoir si IRS est toujours operationnelle, et comment ca avit commence, ce que l' on faisait dans la boite... J' aurais appris que le ville de Bukavu vendait les parcelles la-bas a Lwiro. Aussi, si vous avez des documents sur Lwiro, pourez-vous bien me les faire parvenir via email? Je poursuis des etudes en technologie des champs des cereales et management du betail et volaille ici a Raleigh, North-Carolina State University. J' ai un travail a presenter, je dois parler d' un sujet en agr. chez nous et j' avais choisi Lwiro. Je ne connais rien du tout de cette boite. Je n' ai jamis ete la-bas. J' entendais seulement parler de ca. C' est en cherchant des infos sur IRSAC a l' internet que je suis tombe sur ce site. Please, j' ai besoin de votre aide. Si vous voulez, mon numero d' appel c' est le 01-919-803-2658, ou mon email personnel: LKisoka@gmail.com.
Sinon, text message moi au 01-919-862-7192
Merci d' avance.
Votre soeur Ngely Kisoka Lubula - Bonjour de ParisBonjour mon cher Bashonga,
Je m'imagine que vous êtes Bashonga, mon ancien voisin, le botanniste. Je suis très ravi de voir les photos de Lwiro et particulièrement de Papa Jeje.
Je vous demanderais de me mettre en contact avec Dr Bajope et Bagalwa Sussi,Mwanga et Mburungé. Leurs numéros de téléphone ou adresse mail pourraient m'aider à disucter avec eux au sujet d'un projet. Je suis à l'école doctorale du Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) de Paris. Domaine d'étude : Adaptabilité, Evolution et alimentation humaine, dans le parcours Environnement, développement, territoire et société.
Voici mes coordonnées :
Wakilongo Wakenge
405, Square du Dragon
91000 Evry
tél 00 33 1 60 77 79 94 ou 00 33 6 12 54 26 06
mail: wwakilon@yahoo.fr
Merci
Wakilongo - Hey Rita,
I have been thinking of you quite a bit recently and wondering how you are (and especially your family) with the situation in Lebanon lately. Its terrible and depressing and I sincerely hope your family and friends are OK. Maybe they will come back to visit you in Goma - less threatening after all! Anno may be sent there....
Enjoying family and the summer in canada. I've been wanting to write before but don;t seem to have your email so sending via blog.
hugs to both you and Jeremie! xx joyce - Plus de photo SVPBonjour à tous
Je suis un natif de Lwiro. Mon père a été (Wamba Gérard) a été Chef de Garage pendant longtemps. Je suis heureux de revoir quelques photos de Lwiro (que je considère une des cités les spectaculaires du pays). Pourriez-vous poster un peu plus de photos SVP (Ces belles villas, le garage, les cités, le bassin de natation, les écoles). D'avance merci
