Musee Vivant-The Living Museum of Bujumbura

Located in Bujumbura-Burundi’s largest city and former capital, Living museum of Bujumbura also known as “Musee Vivant” is both a zoo and a museum. The museum is considered one of Burundi’s two public museums that is dedicated to the wildlife and the art of Burundi.

The museum was founded on 13th October, 1977 covering an area of 3 hectares of the park in the downtown of Bujumbura.

However, in December 2016, the zoo sheltered 6 crocodiles, one monkey, one leopard, two chimpanzees, three guinea fowls, a tortoise, an antelope, and a number of snakes and fish. Various Burundian Craftsmen had workshop on the museum’s premises, whereas several distinguished trees stand in the park, alongside a reconstruction of a tradition Burundian House.

The number of visitors to the museum retrogressed in the aftermath of the 2015 Burundian unrest, following a massive decline in the number of tourists to the country.

Suddenly the park cannot win much approvals from people neither from the animal rights activist because it currently houses one chimpanzee, one leopard, various crocodiles and snakes, and some few antelopes in an untidy, dirty and exposed cages. The guinea pigs on sale at the entrance are the daily feeds for the carnivores, hence purchasing one leads to a graphic representation of the food chain.