For decades, the Ngogo chimpanzees of Uganda’s Kibale National Park were the ultimate example of primate harmony, but a brutal “civil war” has turned these former friends into lethal enemies. Since 2018, researchers have documented a shocking split that has resulted in at least 24 targeted killings, including 17 infants. Researchers identified three likely triggers: a series of unexplained deaths that disrupted social networks, a change in alpha male leadership, and a respiratory epidemic that killed key individuals who bridged the two subgroups. The findings carry sobering implications for understanding human conflict—if genetically similar chimps can turn lethal against former companions without religion or ideology, researchers suggest that relational breakdown alone may be sufficient to ignite warfare.
BBC
