‘I didn’t want to write about this’: the man who first saw chimps waging civil war
Primatologist John Mitani recounts his discovery of violent conflict within a large chimpanzee community in Uganda's Kibale National Park. His long-term study of the Ngogo chimpanzees revealed complex social behaviors that challenged previous scientific assumptions.
Why it matters
Understanding primate social structures and conflict provides critical insights into the evolutionary roots of aggression and social behavior.
Primatologist John Mitani, who co-founded the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project in Kibale national park, Uganda. Photograph: Lauren Sarringhaus Primatologist John Mitani, who co-founded the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project in Kibale national park, Uganda. Photograph: Lauren Sarringhaus Nature heroes Primatology ‘I didn’t want to write about this’: the man who first saw chimps waging civil war John Mitani spent years studying a huge community of chimpanzees in Uganda. But then things took a dark turn – and his findings stunned the scientific world
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