Management of a long-term captive care facility, with an emphasis on rehabilitation and conservation education, requires the resources (financial and technical) of multiple partners. For this reason, the CRPL welcomed collaboration with Non-Governmental Organizations to assist with the management and development of the project. In 2006, Coopera, a Spanish NGO arrived to provide the needed technical and management support. In 2016, the Ivan Carter Wildlife Conservation Alliance (ICWCA) became our core partner, and, in that same year, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) officially joined the team in taking charge of the veterinary department.

CRPL is an important conservation tool for primates in the DRC. We are currently looking after 112 chimpanzees and 109 monkeys of 16 different species, all of them victims of the pet trade and/or poaching. Without centers like ours, no confiscation of captive animals would be possible, which also makes us essential for law enforcement.

Strategically situated only 4 km away from Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), defined by the IUCN as the world’s 3rd most important site for the conservation of the Eastern Chimpanzee; makes Lwiro the ideal location for chimpanzee rehabilitation, local conservation education, and outreach.

CRPL is an accredited sanctuary by Pan Africans Sanctuary Alliance (PASA)