Chimp Civil War & Political Sex Scandals

Researchers report what may be the first thoroughly documented civil war among chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kebale National Park, where two factions—called the Western and Central groups—have carried out coordinated attacks since about 2015, killing multiple adults and infants. The study links the conflict to leadership changes, shifting social hierarchies, and long-term patterns in primate behavior. This episode uses the discovery as a jumping-off point to explore human politics and scandals, comparing chimp aggression and bonobo cooperation, and weaving in contemporary stories about political figures, sexual misconduct allegations, and cultural reactions to power and conflict.