By Haifa Chairunisa
Sandel, co-director of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, was observing the apes alongside veteran primatologist John Mitani when the animals abruptly fell silent. Some displayed signs of anxiety, while others sought physical reassurance. As more chimpanzees approached, the expected social greetings failed to materialize. Instead, several individuals fled, leaving researchers confused as longtime group members appeared to treat one another as strangers.
According to CNN, the incident marked the beginning of a fracture within what had been one of the largest known chimpanzee communities, previously numbering more than 200 individuals. Over time, the group split into two factions (now referred to as the Western and Central groups) setting the stage for escalating conflict.
According to a study published April 9 in Science, the violence between the factions has intensified, with coordinated raids leading to multiple deaths each year. Researchers describe the conflict as a rare chimpanzee “civil war,” a phenomenon observed only once before in the wild.
Chimpanzees are naturally territorial, often conducting patrols to defend their boundaries. However, the scale and persistence of the Ngogo conflict have surprised scientists. Since the split, the Western group has shown greater aggression, carrying out frequent patrols and lethal attacks against members of the Central faction.
The first confirmed fatality occurred in 2018, followed by additional deadly encounters, including a 2019 attack witnessed by researchers in which an adult male chimpanzee was killed despite attempts by others to intervene. To date, at least seven adults and 17 infants from the Central group have been killed, with several others missing.
The Ngogo community, first studied in 1995, had long been considered stable due to its abundant resources. Researchers now suspect that shifts in social dynamics, including deaths within the group, changes in leadership, and a respiratory outbreak may have weakened bonds and triggered the division.
The findings echo earlier observations by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who documented a similar conflict in the 1970s at Gombe National Park. That episode, known as the “Four-Year War,” also involved former group members turning on one another.
Experts say the Ngogo case offers rare insight into how shifting relationships can drive conflict in animal societies. Because chimpanzees lack human cultural divisions such as religion or ethnicity, studying their behavior may shed light on the fundamental role of social bonds in warfare.
Researchers suggest the conflict could end in several ways: a stabilization of boundaries, continued dominance by the stronger faction, or, less likely, a reunion. For now, the outcome remains uncertain as scientists continue to monitor one of the most unusual cases of sustained conflict observed among wild primates.
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