The Chimp Kingdom

 

Chimp Empire is a documentary on Netflix about Chimpanzees living in Ngogo Reserve in Uganda, Africa. Scientists have been studying them for decades and have revealed that Chimpanzees are not the benevolent, kind, altruistic, and considerate animals we were told of in stories and books. But they could be cold, cunning, calculating, scheming, deceitful, cruel and murderous. This series comprises four episodes - captioned as Paradise, Others, War and Reckoning. The first rule for those filming the "Chimp Empire" is that humans do not get into chimps' business or interfere in any way. It is said that their world is similar to ours in some ways and different in others. It tells a story that we can never imagine. And the film's producers deliberately attempted to avoid interference with the Chimp's activity. Chimps are among the great apes sharing about 98.8% of our DNA.

The narration was done beautifully by actor Mahershala Ali, and the documentary follows the groups of Chimpanzees, those who live in the Northern Group, Western Group and Central Group. There was all part of one group before, but with this split, the Northern Group became a sprinter group. The Central Group is the largest group ever recorded. Most Chimp groups recorded in the wild number 50 - 60, but this one is about 120, maybe due to the large number of fruits in one area. The scientists noticed the power dynamics in the group, where one member was deliberately shunned or rejected, and another was accepted and groomed as a social animal. Rejection was quickly noticed and passed down the ranks. Grooming played a significant part in the ritual process, and it was necessary to notice who was groomed and who was allowed to groom whom. Any Chimp left outside the group would succumb to illness and die with bugs and parasites infecting their faces and bodies. The relationship is complex and dependent on many factors, it is a hierarchical society, and all the Chimps are looking for a way to move up. Each Chimp must set itself up and fight its own pathway.

Chimps on Patrol

At the top of the hierarchy in the Central group is Jackson (31), the alpha male. Life as an alpha male is not easy. You must always display strength and demonstrate no sign of weakness. Others on the sidelines are plotting and scheming to take the position of the alpha male all the time. The higher the rank, the higher the possibility of mating. He has the backup of the biggest and strongest male in Ngogo, Miles (41). They have a strong bond and groom one another regularly. Grooming is the equivalent of conversation. It forms alliances, and alliances form power. Gus (14) is an outsider and tries to form alliances, but all his overtures are refused. Whenever he goes to groom other more powerful Chimps, it is not reciprocated, which is said to be necessary for communication. Adams (21), another young male eyeing the position of alpha, displays strength by doing the "rain dance", which is a show of muscle flexing, agility and speed. There is no friendly relation between any Chimp groups when two groups meet, either of them Run or Attack. The Chimps are territorial and patrol their borders regularly to discourage others from encroaching on their territory. Chimps will continually expand their territory if they can, and they do it with numbers. Every Chimp has to weigh their options on patrol and are rewarded according to their role. Pork Pie (27) stayed behind after he could not demonstrate his strength, bond, and form alliances with others. Monkeys much smaller than apes are seen as food; when seen, they are killed and eaten raw. Sharing the meat is political, and Jackson eats with Miles and Peterson (26), deliberately leaving Adams out for now. Although monkey meat is eaten occasionally, the most important is fruit, the community's main stable diet. Later, Gus found Pork Pie dead in the middle of their group territory. It is dangerous for a Chimp to live a lonely existence, and Pork Pie's death further proves this point.

Chimp eating a monkey.

Another group, the Western group, is smaller, but they stick together, giving them strength as they are more united. They have only eight adult males compared to 24 of the Central Group. The females play a more critical role and stand together with the males. They join the males in fighting and hunting. Hence most of the females in the Western group have dual roles. The alpha male, Hutcherson (27), is not as aggressive as Jackson and has a more democratic approach to the decision process. All the Chimps have essential roles; Garrison (44), the oldest male Chimp, has a forest map in his head and leads the others. Rollins (35) is a Western patrol leader. He and his brother Damien (14) have been guarding the border with the Central group. Anytime the others are eating, the male adults stand guard. Unfortunately, the Western group came across Pork Pie, eating alone in Central territory. Like humans, the Chimpazines are social animals, but unlike humans, their ability to form relationships is limited. They see Chimps of rival groups as others or the enemy to be killed or attacked. In a place of limited resources, the less of the others, the more food for our group. And when the Westerners found Pork Pie alone, his fate was sealed, and he was destroyed. Chimps can be playful, gentle, and brutally violent, this is essential for Chimp's life. Westerners have many mouths to feed and need more territory to feed their growing group. Garbo (65) is the oldest Chimp at Ngogo and is the mother of the alpha male Hutcherson and Richmond (34). Richmond lost his hand in a poacher snare. Despite his problem, he was able to survive and prosper, he was once the alpha male, but he was later replaced by his brother. They both care for their mother, Garbo providing her with feet and protection. Bergal (10) is a male orphan, testing the waters and trying to show dominance.

Buchner (21) is an established male looking at Bergal's display and considering whether to see him as a threat. Garrison was able to take Bergal under his wing. As male Chimps become older, they become less aggressive. Garrison did the essential grooming for Bergal, protected him, and acted as a father to the orphan. Hunting is for meat, and this is for monkeys, bats, antelopes, etc. They do not hunt when hungry but, on the contrary, when full and bursting with energy and enthusiasm. Meat sharing is highly political; you share with your allies, strengthen your position, and exclude your enemies. Wilson (21) was excluded, took it badly, and attacked Christine with her baby after being given meat.  

After killing Pork Pie, the Westerners became more and more confident encoding into the Central territory. The Western males became more aggressive. As said, Chimps always look for the advantage to expand their territory as this means more food. The attack began on the Central territory after they met a lone Northern family out on their way foraging. The attack was by all the males of the Western group supported by the females. But Jackson held back because he was part of the Western group before he stood up and attacked the Western group. Jackson was subsequently injured afterwards but drove the Westerners back. But an alpha male can never show weakness, as physical weakness means political weakness. The rest of the Central males were plotting and scheming their next move as to who will challenge Jackson and take his place. Miles withdrew from Jackson, and Adams and Wilson sensed an opportunity. Politics is uncertain, and allies can quickly become enemies when they sense an opportunity. They chase Jackson out in full view of the whole group. Hence, Westerners can sense panic and confusion and see an opportunity to exploit the Central group's weakness. After chasing out the injured Jackson, Adams formed an uneasy alliance with him, but Adams knew he had to be careful and always watch his back. More than one battle or fight is needed to confirm the authority of any alpha, this was just the beginning, and it is regarded as a challenge to Jackson's authority. But they had the Westerners to worry about and needed all the help they could get.

A rainstorm sweeps through Ngogo, which makes it harder to see things coming. With Jackson injured, the Westerners saw their chance to extend their territory. Although Rollins and Damien are closing in, they attack. Richmond leads the charge, scattering the Central group chimps and isolating and surrounding the injured Jackson. Injuring him further as an alpha, he cannot display any weakness to his group, and hence he retreats deeper into the forest alone, where he dies from his injuries. He was the most successful leader of the biggest group ever known and stayed there for 6 years. He had left behind 8 offspring - among are Herzog (7), Lucrezia (10), Clayton (12), Denis (7), Toshi (10), Holland (11), Puccini (14), and Bartoli has just given birth to a ninth and it could be Jackson's ninth.

A year later, Westerners had a challenging but successful year. They have gained new territory. A new alpha in the Central group will rise, and a new alpha with no fear of the Westerners will alter the power dynamics in Ngogo. Joya (11) did not stay in the Central group, and young females moved freely between groups, ensuring they remained healthy. Gus is now being groomed by other males.

One thing I did enjoy about the story is learning about the complex politics based on interests and territory and access to sex and power.