Aggressive chimpanzee seizes mother from her infant and causes its demise.
For years, humans and chimps have coexisted harmoniously in Bossou, a village situated in West Africa's Guinea. However, this harmonious relationship has grown tense recently, with a spike in aggressive chimpanzee attacks against humans. Sadly, an eight-month-old infant lost their life due to one such incident. The village community is outraged, but their anger is not directed towards the animals.
The chimps in Bossou have captivated experts and travelers since they were observed employing stone hammers and anvils to break their food into manageable bits, as reported by the British "Times". This advanced tool use was unheard of among primates, and it set these chimps apart.
The chimps reside near a farming community that considers them the reincarnated ancestors. This close proximity has lasted for generations, but recently, it has resulted in tragedy for a young child.
Accounts: Chimp disemboweled baby using tools
Last Friday, one of the two remaining male chimps seized an eight-month-old baby from the mother's back and took the child into the forest, where it was killed. According to the "Times", witnesses claimed the baby was disemboweled by the chimp, perhaps with the assistance of tools. Some reports suggest that the chimp consumed the internal organs.
The villagers retaliated, but not against the chimps. Instead, they targeted the scientists studying the animals. "The way she was killed has affected the population," says Joseph Dore. The crowd that attacked the Bossou Environmental Research Institute, set up by Kyoto University in 1976, included Dore. The researchers fled the scene, but not before the protesters destroyed the facility, setting fire to papers, equipment, and technology.
"They no longer regard humans as threats"
The expansion of agriculture and the construction of new roads in the chimps' habitat have confined them to a roughly 16 square kilometer forest area. This geographical isolation has made them prime subjects for research but has also kept them from potential mating partners living on the other side of the hills.
The planting of a green corridor aimed to connect the Bossou chimps with other chimpanzee groups, but this project displaced local farmers, leading to food shortages for both humans and animals. Formerly, the villagers had enough land to grow food that could be shared with the chimps. However, the project significantly reduced the available farming area, potentially leading to the chimps' violent behavior due to hunger, according to Dore.
According to Moussa Koya, a local resident, there have been previous instances of humans being injured by aggressive chimps. A teenager is currently recovering in the hospital after suffering a head injury caused by colliding with a chimp. Koya attributes the chimps' aggressive behavior to food scarcity: "It's not their intention, but it's become their habit."
Dr. Gen Yamakoshi, the principal researcher at the Bossou Institute, was in Japan when the facility was attacked. He has been studying the chimpanzee community for over three decades and referred to the incidents as "unfortunate events". Yamakoshi offered a straightforward explanation: "They no longer view humans as threats." He could not determine whether the incidents were due to food scarcity or excitement. "Chimpanzees display this behavior among themselves. When excited, they struggle to control their actions," said Yamakoshi. He considers the claims of the baby's mutilation as "highly unlikely".
"Everything was destroyed"
The sophisticated use of tools for food preparation has brought international attention to Bossou's chimps. Even the BBC dedicated a documentary, "Chimpanzees: Toolmakers of Bossou", narrated by David Attenborough, to them. Research on their mourning rituals, navigational skills, and preference for fermented palm sap has sparked further curiosity among scientists and foreign tourists. However, this increased interest may pose risks of overexploitation, according to Yamakoshi. He understands why locals might feel exploited.
Paul Lamah, the director of the institute, shared with "Guinea News" that there is nothing left of the research facility in Bossou. The bags of cement intended for the construction of a new library and conference center were slashed open with machetes: "Everything was destroyed. There's nothing left to salvage in this building."
The tragic incident involving the chimp disemboweling an eight-month-old baby has led to significant backlash from the villagers. However, their anger is not directed towards the chimps, but towards the scientists studying them.
Dr. Gen Yamakoshi, the principal researcher at the Bossou Institute, believes that the chimps no longer view humans as threats. He suggests that their aggressive behavior might be due to food scarcity caused by the reduction of available farming area.
