A Shocking Discovery Suggests Chimpanzees Are Fighting a Civil War

The idea of a chimpanzee civil war may sound like a far-fetched plot for a made-for-TV movie. However, scientists in one African country say that this is exactly what is happening. And, according to research that they published on their findings, it's not exactly a new phenomenon either.

That's because massive infighting tends to take place between different social groups every couple of years, according to their research. But this deadly battle seems to be something a little different.

Researchers believe that the infighting between the chimps stems from the societal collapse of a single population of chimps, which resulted in the formation of different factions within a single region.

Now, the scientists think that they can use what they are seeing happening with the chimpanzees to learn more about the animals, and to shed a little bit of light on the way that humans engage in warfare as well. Keep reading to learn more about what they've uncovered.

The Ngogo chimpanzees are fighting in Uganda, according to a study that was published in the April 9, 2026, issue of the journal Science. There, a team of anthropologists and researchers broke down their findings, explaining how they had observed a massive conflict within the chimps that had taken the lives of around seven adult chimpanzees and 17 infants.

The study likened the infighting to a civil war, especially since the chimps were formerly members of the same social group.

Fighting like this typically only takes place every 500 years or so. That being said, this isn't the first time in modern history that it has been documented. In the 1970s, Jane Goodall bore witness to the Gombe Chimpanzee War, which also resulted in the deaths of at least seven adult chimps.

As for the Ngogo group, the population once included more than 200 chimps, but over the last decade, the population fractured into two warring factions that keep launching deadly attacks on one another.

It may be hard to imagine a war without modern weapons, but chimpanzees have been around longer than the technologies that our world's armies use to destroy one another.

As for how they engage in battle, well it's equally as horrifying as how modern warfare is waged, especially since it happens in such close quarters instead of at the push of a button or with the pulling of a trigger. According to NBC News, the chimps have been known to bludgeon one another to death with their fists.

When the chimps are attacking a more formidable adult, they will come at the large chimpanzee in a group, with some members holding them down while others bite, kick, and stomp them to death.

One of the study's authors called the whole thing depressing and said that it's quite difficult to bear witness to.