Article #118

Burundi tea plantations hamper chimpanzee protection

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Canonical URL: https://globalvoices.org/2026/02/14/burundi-tea-plantations-hamper-chimpanzee-protection/
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Published: 14 Feb 2026, 12:00 UTC
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In Burundi, tea production hampers the protection of endangered species, such as chimpanzees.

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Some park workers pick the chimpanzees’ food, especially wild strawberries. Originally published on Global Voices Screenshot from the video “Documentary on Burundi Chimpanzees” on the OBPE Burundi YouTube channel This article by Arthur Bizimana, first published on Ibihe.org on November 25, 2025, is part of a series of four investigations conducted with support from the Pulitzer Center. Global Voices republished the article as part of a media partnership agreement. In Burundi , large-scale tea production is hampering efforts to protect endangered species, such as chimpanzees. A tea plantation stretches as far as the eye can see on the edge of Kibira National Park , the most important of Burundi’s three national parks in the northwest of the country, where the construction of the Mpanda hydroelectric power station is also underway. This land is being inundated with migration and development projects from local communities, production companies, and some state-owned institutions, like the Burundi Tea Office (OTB), the Burundi Water and Electricity Production and Distribution Authority (REGIDESO), the Burundi Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ISABU), and the General Directorate of Planning for Agriculture and Livestock (DPAE). These human activities have led to the loss and migration of wildlife . Séverin Bagayuwitunze, 62, a native of this region in the northwest of the country, makes a chilling observation: On rencontrait des chimpanzés, des gorilles, des phacochères quand la forêt était encore dense, mais maintenant, ils ont disparu. On peut traverser le secteur Rwegura du parc national de Kibira sans rencontrer un seul chimpanzé. When the forest was still dense, there were chimpanzees, gorillas, and warthogs, but now, they have disappeared. You can go through the Rwegura area of Kibira National Park without seeing a single chimpanzee. Today, chimpanzees are rare throughout the Kibira National Park. Pascal, who lives close to the park, said: La dernière fois que j’ai vu un chimpanzé dans le parc de Kibira, c’était en 2018. Depuis, nous les rencontrons occasionnellement. The last time I saw a chimpanzee in Kibira National Park was in 2018. Since then, we have seen them occasionally. According to some studies, the park is currently home to more than 200 chimpanzees, compared to around 500 before its deforestation. In October 2019, the Third National Communication on Climate Change raised the alarm on the loss of this chimpanzee habitat between 2009 and 2019. Kibira lost an estimated 10,000 to 12, 000 hectares of tree cover. Six years after the announcement about the threat to the park, the exact deforestation levels remain unknown. In the scientific article, “ Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Population Density and Abundance in Kibira National Park , Burundi ,” which the University of Liège published in 2013, Dismas Hakizimana , a researcher and lecturer at the University of Burundi, and Marie-Claude Huynen , a researcher and lecturer at the University of Liège, reported: Leur habitat étant menacé, certains chimpanzés y ont laissé la vie et les rescapés ont déserté les secteurs de Kibira notamment Rwegura, Teza et Musigati. Ils se sont réfugiés dans le secteur Mabayi directement contigu au Parc National de Nyungwe /National Nyungwe Park (NNP) au Rwanda où ils recherchent la sécurité alimentaire et physique. With their habitat under threat, some chimpanzees lost their lives, and the survivors abandoned the Kibira areas, especially Rwegura, Teza, and Musigati. They sought refuge in the Mabayi area directly adjacent to Nyungwe National Park (NNP) in Rwanda, where they seek food and physical security. Harmful human presence The Burundi Tea Office plantation, located in the high plateaus of this region, employs more than 1,000 salaried workers and 7,500 to 8,000 day laborers who work plucking green leaves from tea bushes, factory operations, tea-plantation maintenance, communication, and woodland exploitation. Léonidas Nzigiyimpa, an ecologist, observed: Ces ouvriers produisent un grand bruit sonore nuisant à l’habitat des chimpanzés, espèce phare de Kibira. Ils jettent les restes des nourritures, les sachets… En gros, ils polluent l’habitat des chimpanzés. These workers make loud noises that adversely affect the habitats of chimpanzees, the flagship species of Kibira. They throw away food leftovers and plastic bags, essentially polluting the chimpanzees’ habitat. While tending to the fields, some workers enter the park illegally. Nzigiyimpa highlights: Les entrées et sorties ne sont pas régulées et restent largement incontrôlées. Ils cueillent la nourriture des chimpanzés, notamment les fraises sauvages. The entrances and exits are unregulated and remain largely uncontrolled. They pick the chimpanzees’ food, especially wild strawberries. Berchmans Hatungimana , Director General of the Burundian Office for the Protection of the Environment , takes a similar perspective. On the side of Highway One, which runs alongside the national park, local people sell edible wild fruits, like strawberries, to make ends meet. Pascal, quoted above, also stated: Nous avions atteint un stade où nous cueillions des fruits qui ne sont pas mûrs. Nous les conservions dans un lieu sûr et attendions qu’ils soient mûrs. Maintenant, ce commerce est quasi-inexistant. Les fraises sauvages ont presque disparu. Même les arbousiers ne portent plus leurs fruits. We had reached a stage where we were buying fruit that wasn’t ripe. We kept it in a safe place and waited for it to ripen. Now, this trade is virtually non-existent. Wild strawberries have all but disappeared. Even the strawberry trees no longer bear fruit. The ecologist Nzigiyimpa denounces the fact that locals also hunt and set traps to catch animals in the park. According to Professor Richard Habonayo, a lecturer at the University of Burundi, these circumstances make chimpanzees fear the presence of humans and keep their distance. Given this information, Berchmans Hatungimana said: Nous avons des employés qui gardent le parc de Kibira 24 heures sur 24 pendant toute l’année. S’il advient qu’un ouvrier entre illégalement dans le parc et outrepasse les lois de la protection du parc, il est arrêté et livré à la société qui l’emploie pour qu’il soit puni conformément à la loi. We have workers who guard Kibira National Park 24 hours a day, year-round. If a worker enters the park illegally and violates the park’s protection law, they are arrested and handed over to their employer for punishment in accordance with the law. According to a study by the NGO Conservation and Community Change (3C), the number of traps has increased as the development work has escalated and the population around the park has also grown. Léonidas Nzigiyimpa, the legal representative, explains: Outre les activités humaines, les plantations de thé constituent une barrière pour les chimpanzés dans leurs mouvements quotidiens de recherche de nourriture, car elles sont serrées et enchevêtrées. Elles coupent également la communication entre elles (différentes familles de chimpanzé) et limitent les femelles à retrouver les mâles issus d’une autre famille afin de s’accoupler et de se reproduire. Or, la reproduction des chimpanzés est lente. Cela limite la multiplication de la population des chimpanzés et contribue à réduire les effectifs. Besides human activities, tea plantations pose a barrier to chimpanzees’ daily foraging, as they are fenced and enclosed. They also disrupt communication between different chimpanzee families and prevent females from finding males from another family to mate and reproduce. However, chimpanzee reproduction is slow, limiting the chimpanzee population growth and reducing their numbers. Nzigiyimpa states that chimpanzees are forest builders and help maintain the ecological balance. He warns that if chimpanzees disappear, other types of vegetation will follow. Involving local communities According to Professor Habonayo, poverty is one of the factors driving the local communities to exploit forest resources, especially the Batwa community, which has a strong presence in the Great Lakes region . To improve their living conditions and no longer rely on the forests for their survival, the government must implement revenue-generating projects for local communities. What’s more, Habonayo recommends investing in training and developing local skills in forest resource management. He maintains: Il est impossible de protéger le parc de Kibira sans associer les communautés locales. On doit leur faire comprendre qu’elles ont une grande place dans la protection de sa biodiversité, qu’elle soit faunique ou florique. It is impossible to protect Kibira National Park without involving local communities. We must make them understand they play a significant role in protecting its biodiversity, whether fauna or flora. Written (Français) by Ibihé Translated (English) by Laura View original post (Français)

AI Variants

news_brief

gpt-5.4

Tea expansion around Burundi’s Kibira park threatens endangered chimpanzees

Short summary: Tea plantations, deforestation and growing human activity around Kibira National Park are shrinking habitat and disrupting the movement and reproduction of Burundi’s endangered chimpanzees.

Long summary: Large-scale tea production and other development projects near Burundi’s Kibira National Park are undermining efforts to protect endangered chimpanzees. Residents and researchers say chimpanzees that were once common in sectors such as Rwegura are now rarely seen, with estimates suggesting the park’s population has fallen from about 500 before major deforestation to just over 200 today. Between 2009 and 2019, Kibira is estimated to have lost 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of tree cover. Ecologists say tea estates create noise, pollution and barriers that block chimpanzees’ daily foraging routes and isolate family groups, while illegal entry, fruit picking, trapping and hunting further degrade the habitat. Experts argue that stronger protection will require involving local communities and creating alternative sources of income to reduce dependence on forest resources.

Expanding tea plantations and other development activity on the edge of Kibira National Park are putting Burundi’s endangered chimpanzees under increasing pressure.

Residents in northwestern Burundi say chimpanzees have become far less visible in the park. Researchers cited in the report estimate Kibira now holds more than 200 chimpanzees, down from around 500 before major deforestation.

A national climate report warned that Kibira lost roughly 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of tree cover between 2009 and 2019. Scientists have also reported that habitat loss pushed some chimpanzees out of areas including Rwegura, Teza and Musigati, with survivors moving toward Mabayi near Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park in search of food and safety.

Ecologists say tea plantation activity contributes to the problem through noise, litter and illegal incursions into the park. Workers and local residents have also been accused of picking wild fruits eaten by chimpanzees, setting traps and hunting.

Conservation specialists warn that dense tea estates act as physical barriers, disrupting movement between chimpanzee groups and making reproduction harder for a species that already breeds slowly. They say poverty among nearby communities is driving reliance on forest resources and that protecting Kibira will require jobs, training and stronger community involvement alongside law enforcement.

Tags: Burundi, Kibira National Park, chimpanzees, conservation, deforestation, tea plantations, biodiversity, wildlife

Hashtags: #Burundi, #Chimpanzees, #KibiraNationalPark, #Conservation, #TeaPlantations

social

gpt-5.4

Burundi’s chimpanzees are losing ground as tea plantations spread near Kibira

Short summary: Experts say tea estates, habitat loss and human pressure are making chimpanzees harder to find in Kibira National Park and disrupting their survival.

Long summary: Chimpanzees in Burundi’s Kibira National Park are facing mounting pressure from tea plantations, deforestation and growing human activity around the forest. Researchers cited in the report say the park’s chimpanzee population has dropped from about 500 before major forest loss to more than 200 today. Conservationists warn that tea estates create barriers that block movement between groups, while noise, litter, fruit picking, trapping and hunting further damage the habitat. Specialists say protecting Kibira will require not just enforcement, but also stronger support for nearby communities so they can rely less on forest resources.

Chimpanzees once commonly seen in parts of Burundi’s Kibira National Park are now increasingly rare.

Researchers cited in the report say the park has more than 200 chimpanzees today, down from roughly 500 before major deforestation. Kibira is estimated to have lost 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of tree cover between 2009 and 2019.

Conservationists say tea plantations near the park are adding pressure by fragmenting habitat, increasing noise and human traffic, and reducing access to wild foods. Illegal entry, trapping and hunting are also cited as threats.

Experts warn that fragmented habitat can isolate chimpanzee groups and make reproduction more difficult. They say long-term protection depends on involving local communities and creating alternative livelihoods alongside stronger enforcement.

Tags: Burundi, chimpanzees, Kibira, wildlife protection, deforestation, tea plantations, habitat loss, community conservation

Hashtags: #Burundi, #Chimpanzees, #Kibira, #SaveChimpanzees, #Deforestation, #TeaPlantations, #WildlifeProtection

web

gpt-5.4

How tea plantations and development are fragmenting chimpanzee habitat in Burundi’s Kibira National Park

Short summary: Conservationists in Burundi warn that tea estates, deforestation and rising pressure from nearby communities are accelerating the decline of chimpanzees in Kibira National Park.

Long summary: Kibira National Park, Burundi’s most important national park, is facing mounting pressure from tea cultivation and other development projects along its borders. Local residents say chimpanzees that once inhabited several sectors of the forest have become increasingly rare. Studies referenced in the report indicate the park now has more than 200 chimpanzees, compared with roughly 500 before widespread forest loss. Experts say tea plantations do more than replace habitat: they generate noise, litter and human traffic, and their fenced, dense layout blocks chimpanzees from moving freely between feeding areas and family groups. Illegal entry into the park, fruit harvesting, trapping and hunting add to the strain. Researchers and local experts warn that the fragmentation of habitat is especially serious for chimpanzees because they reproduce slowly and depend on connected forest ecosystems. They say lasting protection will depend not only on patrols and enforcement, but also on involving nearby communities and developing alternative livelihoods that reduce economic dependence on park resources.

Large-scale tea production is emerging as a major obstacle to chimpanzee conservation in and around Burundi’s Kibira National Park, according to local residents, researchers and environmental officials.

Kibira, in the country’s northwest, is Burundi’s most important national park. But the forest is under growing pressure from surrounding migration and development projects, including tea plantations and infrastructure work. The cumulative effect, experts say, has been habitat loss, wildlife displacement and a sharp decline in sightings of chimpanzees.

People living near the park describe a dramatic change over time. Areas where chimpanzees were once regularly seen are now largely silent. According to studies cited in the report, Kibira currently holds more than 200 chimpanzees, far below the roughly 500 believed to have lived there before extensive deforestation.

A national climate assessment raised alarms over habitat loss between 2009 and 2019, estimating that Kibira lost 10,000 to 12,000 hectares of tree cover. Researchers have said that as habitat came under threat, some chimpanzees died while others abandoned sectors such as Rwegura, Teza and Musigati and moved toward Mabayi, near Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, in search of food and safety.

Conservationists say the nearby tea industry affects chimpanzees in several ways. The plantations employ thousands of workers, bringing constant human presence, noise and waste into a sensitive ecosystem. Ecologists say some workers also enter the park illegally and collect wild foods, including strawberries eaten by chimpanzees. Local trade in edible wild fruits has added to pressure on these food sources.

Trapping and hunting are also reported to occur around the park. Environmental groups say the number of traps has grown as development has expanded and populations around Kibira have increased. Researchers warn that frequent human presence makes chimpanzees more wary and pushes them farther from disturbed areas.

Tea estates may also be physically fragmenting the forest. Experts say dense, enclosed plantations interfere with chimpanzees’ daily movements and cut communication between family groups. That isolation can make it harder for females to find unrelated males, reducing breeding opportunities for a species whose reproduction is already slow.

Officials say the park is guarded year-round and that anyone found entering illegally can be arrested and handed over to employers for disciplinary action under the law. Even so, scientists and conservation advocates argue that enforcement alone is not enough.

They point to poverty in surrounding communities as a key driver of forest exploitation. To reduce pressure on Kibira, experts recommend creating revenue-generating projects, expanding training in resource management and giving local residents a meaningful role in conservation. Without that partnership, they argue, protecting the park’s biodiversity will remain extremely difficult.

Tags: Burundi, Kibira National Park, chimpanzee conservation, deforestation, tea industry, habitat fragmentation, community livelihoods, environment

Hashtags: #Burundi, #KibiraNationalPark, #Chimpanzees, #Deforestation, #Conservation, #TeaPlantations, #Biodiversity

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