Researchers have documented a permanent split between the largest-known group of wild chimpanzees, which erupted into a lethal civil war over the past several years — findings that could help

By Will Dunham April 9 (Reuters) - For two decades, researchers observed members of the Ngogo chimpanzee group of Kibale National Park in Uganda spend their days eating fruits and leaves, resting, traveling and grooming in their tropical rainforest abode.

Chimpanzees that had once formed a cohesive community in Uganda split into factions and turned violent, according to a new study. Nearly 30 chimps were killed, including 19 infants.

Chimpanzees are among the most intelligent primates, but that intelligence is paired with extreme physical strength and aggression. Documented attacks show that they can inflict severe and sometimes fatal injuries when provoked or threatened.

Learn how the world’s largest known chimpanzee group split in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and why the divide led to deadly violence between former allies in a rare chimpanzee “civil war.”

Chimp Haven will host its Spring Chimpanzee Discovery Day on April 18, 2026, giving the public a rare look inside the sanctuary and allowing visitors to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitats.

Why the Latest Science Leads Us to a New Theory of Human Nature, by Jonathan Leaf (Bombardier, 320 pp., $21) Ever since Darwin, biologists have believed that much could be learned about human nature from apes and monkeys,