'Like us, chimps adapt to exploit new food sources if existing ones disappear,' writes photographer Ronan Donovan. 'Also like us, chimps are omnivores that defend their home territory from other groups of their species.'
Though the village of Kyamajaka isn’t far from the Kibale research project, the chimps around Kyamajaka are habituated to humans in a different way. They are wary of the people they encounter on a daily basis. These chimps are in competition with their human neighbors. The native forests that supported the chimps have been cleared for farming, so they now feed primarily on human-grown crops.
The unthinkable occurred on July 20, 2014. As Ntegeka worked in the garden, she kept the children with her. But in an instant when her back was turned, a large chimp grabbed her toddler son, Mujuni, and ran. Villagers who gave chase found the two-year-old’s eviscerated body stashed under a nearby bush. He died en route to a regional hospital.
Gathering outside the family’s abandoned house, the chimpanzees see their reflections in the windows as a challenge.The Sematas’ losses embodied the worst of the human-chimp conflict thatsent Quammen and me to document. My images would help tell that story. But I also hoped they might honor the human tragedies and spur change, such as moving the chimps, to end this conflict.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A's owner gives to coal lobbyist turned Trump-backed congressmanJohn Fisher recently maxed out a donation to Ohio Rep. Mike Carey, a climate change skeptic.
Read more »
Inside the Capitol: ‘It was the ugliest moment I have ever seen in America’One year ago on January 6, 2021, Nat Geo photographer Louie Palu was in the U.S. Capitol when a mob stormed the building. This was the footage he captured at that time
Read more »
Watch a Sneak Peek of Your New True Crime Fix Real Murders of Atlanta - E! OnlineOxygen's new true crime series Real Murders of Atlanta goes deep inside the city's unbelievable cases of homicide. Take a closer look below.
Read more »
“Skin Botox” Is the Top Injectable Treatment in South Korea — and It Offers Instant Glass SkinAllure's digital beauty reporter gives an inside look at Seoul's biggest injectable trend.
Read more »