Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Chimpanzees: not just tree-hugging hippies, but also ruthless warlords. Jane Goodall discovered that these furry cousins of ours don’t just share our DNA, but also our nastier habits...
In 1974, in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, a chimpanzee civil war kicked off. Humphrey, the overzealous leader of the Kasakela troop, wasn’t keen on sharing power. When a breakaway faction formed, Humphrey and his goons systematically hunted them down over four years—ambushing lone chimps. Charming.
Goodall was horrified. At the time, scientists insisted war was a uniquely human trait. But nope, chimps do it too. Some even suggest this warlike streak is hardwired into our DNA. And yet, our other ape relatives, the bonobos, spend their time having... diplomatic relations instead.
Despite the violence, Goodall’s research transformed our understanding of chimps, proving they have complex societies just like ours—only with more tree climbing and less TikTok. And as for the Kasakela? They’re still out there, no global ape uprising yet—though if we keep destroying their habitat, they might change their minds.
Chimpanzees: not just tree-hugging hippies, but also ruthless warlords. Jane Goodall discovered that these furry cousins of ours don’t just share our DNA, but also our nastier habits...
In 1974, in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, a chimpanzee civil war kicked off. Humphrey, the overzealous leader of the Kasakela troop, wasn’t keen on sharing power. When a breakaway faction formed, Humphrey and his goons systematically hunted them down over four years—ambushing lone chimps. Charming.
Goodall was horrified. At the time, scientists insisted war was a uniquely human trait. But nope, chimps do it too. Some even suggest this warlike streak is hardwired into our DNA. And yet, our other ape relatives, the bonobos, spend their time having... diplomatic relations instead.
Despite the violence, Goodall’s research transformed our understanding of chimps, proving they have complex societies just like ours—only with more tree climbing and less TikTok. And as for the Kasakela? They’re still out there, no global ape uprising yet—though if we keep destroying their habitat, they might change their minds.
