Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Chimpanzees have been spotted attacking and killing gorillas in the wild for the first time
Gorillas are the largest non-human primates, reaching heights between 1.2 and 1.8 meters, weighing from 100 to 270 kg, and arm spans up to 2.6 meters. They tend to live in troops, with the leader being called a silverback. Despite the conservation efforts, they are still classified as critically endangered species by IUCN.
Chimpanzees are the closest living primate to humans. Male chimpanzees usually weigh between 40 and 70 kg and stand at 120 to 150 cm high. Chimpanzees live in communities that typically consist of around 20 to sometimes over 100 members, but spend most of their time traveling in smaller groups. The chimpanzee is listed on the IUCN Red List as an endangered species.
As gorillas are much larger and look stronger than chimps, most of you have never thought about gorillas are attacked, and even killed by chimpanzees. But that was what researchers witnessed in a national park in Gabon, Africa. Since these two species usually interact without hostility, it was quite surprising for the witnesses. In fact, chimps are known as monkey hunters for meat. However, the researchers were unsure how did the peaceful encounter of the two primate groups develop into an assault and murder of two child gorillas. After all, while chimps are used to attack other primates, gorillas aren’t.
Enjoy reading the article and learn about this rare incident witnessed in Africa.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/22/africa/chimpanzee-gorilla-attacks-scn-scli-intl/index.html
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