Chimpanzee civil war in Uganda, when will it end?
In 2019, male chimpanzees from the West Group attacked Bessie. Bessie, pictured in the middle, was contorting her face in fear or pain, and was part of the Central Group. Collected.
In Uganda’s Kibale National Park, the deep forests that were once a kingdom of peaceful coexistence for chimpanzees have seen a dramatic and violent shift.
After living together for around twenty years, the chimpanzee community has fractured into bitter rivals. Researcher Aaron Sandel first noticed this historic division on an afternoon in 2015 when, instead of greeting each other with joyful hoots, the chimpanzees began fleeing in terror at the sight of one another.
According to researchers, what was once a single massive troop has split into two distinct factions: the Western and Central groups. The hostility between them has escalated to such an extreme that experts are calling it a civil war, a phenomenon they believe occurs perhaps only once every 500 years. Where the chimpanzees once roamed the entire forest freely, they now patrol established borders to prevent members of the opposing group from encroaching on their territory.
The Western group has become particularly aggressive and violent during this conflict, frequently launching ambushes against the Central group. In 2018, a young chimpanzee named Errol was brutally killed by five powerful males. In 2019, the group cornered and killed an elderly member named Bessie; when a female chimpanzee tried to intervene and save Bessie, the attackers chased her away.
The most harrowing aspect of this internal war is the targeted killing of infants. So far, the conflict has claimed the lives of 7 adults and 17 infant chimpanzees. Another 14 chimpanzees remain missing and are presumed dead. Sandel expressed his grief over the situation, noting that witnessing chimpanzees he has known for years kill one another makes him feel more like a war correspondent than a researcher.
There are several theories as to why these former friends became such bitter enemies. Researchers believe the rift began following the deaths of several chimpanzees in 2014 and a change in leadership in 2015. Additionally, a pandemic in 2017 shattered their long-standing social bonds. Ultimately, the group simply became too large, making it impossible for the members to maintain their usual social order and control.
Scientists suggest that this chimpanzee war offers significant insights into human conflict. While humans fight over religion or tribal identity—concepts chimpanzees do not have—this civil war demonstrates how devastating personal rivalries and fractured relationships can be. Through this struggle, researchers are witnessing the violent side of the chimpanzee psyche alongside their well-known traits of bravery, friendship, and empathy.
Regarding the outcome of this war, researcher Aaron Sandel has proposed two primary predictions. First, the Central group may manage to consolidate its strength and defend its territory, potentially leading to a decrease in fatalities. Second, the more powerful Western group might systematically eliminate the members of the weaker Central group until the entire lineage is wiped out. While there remains a very faint hope that they might eventually reunite, the current situation makes such a reconciliation appear nearly impossible. (Source: CNN)
