The Ngogo Chimpanzee Project began in 1995 and studies chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Observers followed a very large group that later split into two parts called central and western.
From 1998 to 2014 the chimpanzees lived as one unit. In 2015 aggression rose between the subgroups and they began to separate. In 2016 the western group sent a territorial patrol and males fought. In 2018 western chimpanzees killed a young adult male from the central group.
Over the next years members of the western group killed more than twenty former groupmates, including adults and infants. The central group did not fight back. Researchers say the events raise questions about chimpanzee social behaviour and show the value of long-term research.
Difficult words
- aggression — hostile or violent behaviour toward another individual
- territorial — protecting or defending an area against others
- patrol — a group movement to watch or defend an area
- subgroup — a smaller group inside a larger groupsubgroups
- researcher — a person who studies plants, animals or peopleResearchers
- behaviour — the actions and interactions of an animal or person
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Discussion questions
- Why is long-term research important in this story?
- How could a group split affect chimpanzee daily life?
- What questions would you ask researchers about these events?
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