Guinea pigs could provide food for war-torn Congo, scientists say
Rodents – newly found in eastern provinces and popular in South America – are easy to keep and conceal from lootersThis is one experiment where the guinea pigs are just that: guinea pigs. The small rodents have been discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and could, scientists believe, help end food shortages in the war-torn country.Researchers last year found guinea pigs being kept as "micro-livestock" in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, which have endured decades of conflict that have left millions hungry or dead.The furry creatures are nutritious and could provide greater food security than conventional livestock such as pigs and chickens, according to the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), a research insitute based in Colombia.Guinea pigs offer "a much-needed source of protein and micro-nutrients in a country with some of the highest incidences of malnutrition the world," the CIAT said."Small and easy to...
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