Africa-Press – South-Sudan. In Uganda’s Kibale National Park, the world’s largest known group of wild chimpanzees has split into rival factions and has been involved in what researchers describe as a “civil war” for the past eight years, according to a study reported by the BBC.
The Ngogo chimpanzee community was once a closely connected group but has since divided into two factions known as the Western and Central groups.
Researchers say they have recorded 24 killings since 2018, including 17 infants.
The study, published in the journal Science, shows that the violence continued after the split became permanent.
Lead researcher Aaron Sandel, an anthropologist at the University of Texas and co-director of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, said the group was previously cohesive despite occasional disputes.
He said tensions began to increase in 2015, followed by growing avoidance and more aggressive encounters between the two groups.
The BBC reported that by 2018 the division had fully developed, leading to repeated attacks by members of the Western group on the Central group.
Researchers said at least seven adult males and 17 infants from the Central group have been killed, though the total number may be higher.
The study suggests factors including group size, competition for resources, and male rivalry for reproduction may have contributed to the conflict.
Researchers said chimpanzees are highly territorial and often hostile toward outsiders, but the scale and duration of the violence is unusual.
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