Emily Kwong

So do they know why this happened?

That's kind of horrifying.

Yeah, let's talk about the science of what's going on.

I mean, the only other example of these kinds of wars, lethal attacks, it sounds like is what Jane Goodall saw during her work in Tanzania, right?

The banana wars.

When she looks at the observations happening in Uganda right now, what does she make of it?

Like the elders were gone and it created new social groups.

And I suppose the researchers can't intervene.

That's the nature of this work.

You know, because chimpanzees are one of our closest living relatives, does this help us understand how war between humans happens?

Yeah.

Am I anthropomorphizing too much?

But I thought bonobos were kind of mean.

You're saying they don't lethally attack each other, though?

And neither do chimpanzees.

And yet, as you said earlier, all of these animals engage in this type of intra-group fighting.

Yeah, the rupture of social bonds, which, you know, we see all over the world.

I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse about it, but...

It's the reality.

Nate Rott, thank you for this reporting.