1986/02/14 by Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa, Mariko Hiraiwa‐Hasegawa, Richard W. Byrne +3 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · Psychology · #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1159/000156259
crossref issued 1986/02/14 · crossref published 1986/02/14 · crossref published-print 1986/02/14 · openalex publication_date 1986/02/14 · crossref created 2008/09/15 · crossref deposited 2022/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
In the Mahale Mountains National Park of Tanzania, a group of about 33 chimpanzees were observed to surround a leopard den containing a mother and at least one cub and to drag out and kill the cub. This is the first report of chimpanzees or any other primate species killing their potential predator's offspring. The incident suggests that chimpanzees, without any weapons, can manage to defend themselves against a carnivore of at least up to leopard size, and implicates how the early hominids may have reacted against their potential predators.