Scientists Describe First Non-Human ‘Civil War’

Researchers studying chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kibale National Park did not expect to witness former allies turning into lethal rivals. Yet that is exactly what has happened within the Ngogo chimpanzee community, a population of about 200 animals that gained wider attention through the 2023 documentary Chimp Empire. Scientists say the situation resembles a kind of internal conflict among the animals, offering potential insight into how violence may have developed among early humans.

Primatologist Aaron Sandel, the lead author of a study published Thursday in the journal Science, has been documenting the events. He told The New York Times that observing the conflict has felt similar to reporting from a war zone because of the number of deaths he has encountered during the research.

Since 2018, all 28 recorded deaths in the conflict have involved chimpanzees from the Ngogo community’s Central cluster being killed by members of the Western cluster. For roughly twenty years, the two clusters maintained close social ties. They groomed each other, hunted together, and coordinated patrols. That cooperation has now collapsed. Researchers say the Western cluster could eventually wipe out the Central cluster entirely. The Central group has some connection with a third group, known as the Eastern cluster, which has not become involved in the fighting.

Scientists are still uncertain about what caused the breakdown. One theory is that the deaths of several highly social male chimpanzees in 2014 removed important social connections that once kept the groups united, making it easier for divisions to form. A disease outbreak that occurred later may have further accelerated the split between the clusters.

The findings could have implications beyond chimpanzee behavior. Researchers believe the events might help explain how organized violence first developed among early humans. According to the study, this appears to be the first documented case of deadly conflict between non-human groups that were previously part of the same community. While chimpanzees have long been known to attack outsiders, scientists say the idea of neighboring individuals turning on former allies is particularly striking and may resemble patterns seen in human history.

However, there is concern that the research could be cut short. The project relies on funding from the National Science Foundation, and proposed U.S. budget reductions could reduce the agency’s funding by more than half, potentially threatening the continuation of the study before researchers can fully understand the causes of the conflict.

Original Source