At this primate rehabilitation centre in DRC, keepers are struggling to buy food for the animals

The orphaned chimpanzees at the Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo could soon be at risk of dying of hunger.

Keepers say they are struggling to feed the center’s hundreds of chimpanzees and monkeys.

The centre's access to financial resources has been hampered by the ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese military.

Luc Itongwa, Deputy Director of Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center, said: “Right now we have 127 chimpanzees, and 118 small monkeys. So to feed them, we are forcing the situation. The director is not here, and she’s sending whatever she can to feed the animals, but it’s not enough. With the war, everything has really stopped.”

The M23’s advance into South Kivu province, where the Lwiro center is located, has also distressed the primates.

Gunfire could be heard from the centre, according to the keepers.

Jean Bisimwa Cirimwami, one of the caregivers, said that the animals would refuse to eat normally after being distressed by the sounds of gunfire.

“When the animals hear gunfire, they also start hiding, they start yelling. They even want to run away, to escape," he said.

The impact of the conflict on civilian life in DRC has been worsening in recent months.

Since January, when M23 started its rapid advance into North Kivu province, more than 7 million people have been displaced.

The conflict has created one of the largest humanitarian crises on the African continent.