![]() ![]() ![]() For many species, male-biased sex ratios result in increased competition between males. This is not ideal for chimp communities, which are most stable when the number of female members exceeds the number of male ones. This explanation certainly fits the Kasakela community which, prior to the split, included roughly equal numbers of male and female members. In the long-run, though, they can be beneficial insofar as they ensure the eradication of rival communities that would otherwise compete for natural as well as reproductive resources. In their survey of the academic literature published on the Gombe Chimpanzee War, Joseph Manson and Richard Wrangham failed to identify any short-term benefits of lethal raids. At the same time, scientists have struggled to find an explanation for their excessively violent nature. The consistency with which these border patrol raids are carried out across different communities indicates they are an integrated form of chimp behavior, rather than freak accidents shaped by the heat of battle. They do, however, involve less aggression, especially when the female is in estrus. Lastly, while most raid victims are male, attacks aimed at females also occur. Crucially, Goodall noted that fights between members of separate communities tended to be far more brutal than fights between members of the same community, which are seldom lethal. All five victims were dragged, pinned down, beaten, and bitten. Each of these fateful encounters lasted no more than ten minutes. Of the dozen or so attacks that Goodall recorded, five resulted in death. The key word is “one,” as aggressors always gang up on single victims and rarely attempt to fight a rival group consisting of two or more chimps. If they do find one, however, they might stalk and brutalize the victim, often inflicting lethal wounds. When patrolling, these normally rambunctious animals are described by researchers as “uncharacteristically quiet.” They “often stop to listen intently, apparently for signs of other chimpanzees.” If no intruders are found, the party returns home in silence. On the other hand, the war marked the first instance that primatologists observed chimps engaging in calculated, cold-blooded murder - a behavior that had previously been considered exclusive to man. Many of the chimps that lost their lives during the conflict were chimps Goodall had known closely each had had a name, a face, and a personality. The Chimpanzee War had major implications, both for Goodall personally and her academic community. In total, the war lasted four years and ended only when the splinter community had been completely eradicated. During these altercations, the normally peaceful chimpanzees displayed exceptional levels of cruelty and brutality. The splinter community, consisting of six males and three females, moved into a different section of the park while the main community, now consisting of eight males and twelve females, stayed put.īoth factions guarded their new borders virulently, resulting in a number of coordinated, lethal altercations. About 15 years into her studies, Goodall noticed that the park’s chimpanzee community - the so-called Kasakela community - had splintered into two distinct factions. Goodall first arrived at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park with the intention of observing primates in their natural habitats. ![]()
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