Ngogo Chimps in Uganda Split into a Violent Factional War, New Study Finds

Researchers say the Ngogo chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda—the world’s largest wild group—have split into Western and Central factions since 2018, resulting in at least 24 killings (including 17 infants). A Science study identifies three likely catalysts: the 2014 deaths of five adult males and one adult female, a 2015 alpha-male change, and a 2017 respiratory epidemic. The authors argue that social and relational dynamics, rather than religion or ethnicity, can drive group violence and offer insight into the roots of human conflict.