Chimpanzees kill gorillas for the first time in history over food

Gulf Today Report

Chimpanzees in Gabon's Luango National Park killed gorillas, according to experts.

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The incident was the first of its kind researchers said.

Usually chimpanzees and gorillas are relaxed around each other, but the recent violent behaviour indicates a new biological development.  

A team of scientists of the University of Osnabruck and the Max Planck Institute revealed two deadly attacks took place as the result of animals competing for food, which was dwindling due to climate change.

"The sharing of food by chimpanzees, gorillas and forest elephants in Luango National Park can result in increased competition and sometimes deadly fights between the two species," Tobias Deschner, a primatologist at the Max Planck Institute for Anthropology, said in a statement.

Increased food competition may also be due to more recent climate change and lack of fruit, as observed in other tropical forests in Gabon.

The chimpanzees in one attack captured the infant gorilla and beat it to death, a rare behaviour never seen before.