Chimpanzees have been seen killing gorillas in unprovoked attacks for the first time, scientists said.
The lethal encounters between the two species occurred as they were being observed at Loango National Park in Gabon, according to a study Monday in the journal Nature.
In the first attack in December 2019, more than two dozen chimps went after five gorillas.
"At first, we only noticed screams of chimpanzees and thought we were observing a typical encounter between individuals of neighboring chimpanzee communities," said Lara M. Southern, the study’s lead author, in a statement.
"But then, we heard chest beats, a display characteristic for gorillas, and realized that the chimpanzees had encountered a group of five gorillas."
While the adult gorillas were able to escape, the infant separated from its mother didn’t survive, the study said.
Researchers said a similar attack occurred in February 2019 that also left an infant gorilla dead.
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The lethal encounters between the two species occurred as they were being observed at Loango National Park in Gabon, according to a study Monday in the journal Nature.
In the first attack in December 2019, more than two dozen chimps went after five gorillas.
"At first, we only noticed screams of chimpanzees and thought we were observing a typical encounter between individuals of neighboring chimpanzee communities," said Lara M. Southern, the study’s lead author, in a statement.
"But then, we heard chest beats, a display characteristic for gorillas, and realized that the chimpanzees had encountered a group of five gorillas."
While the adult gorillas were able to escape, the infant separated from its mother didn’t survive, the study said.
Researchers said a similar attack occurred in February 2019 that also left an infant gorilla dead.
Chimpanzees are killing gorillas unprovoked for the first time: scientists
Chimpanzees have been seen killing gorillas in unprovoked attacks for the first time, scientists said.
