Chimp Empire (2023) s01e02 Episode Script
Others
1
A chimp has been killed
in the heart of the Ngogo territory.
It's Pork Pie.
For this to happen,
the killers had to enter
the territory unnoticed.
Only one other group could have done this.
A group the Ngogo chimps
know only too well.
The westerners.
War is coming to Ngogo.
The chimps of western Ngogo
are a separate group
with their own territory.
The westerners are different.
Their group is much smaller
than Jackson's central group.
But they stick together.
And that gives them strength.
There are just eight adult males
compared to 24 in the central group.
So the females
stand together with the males
and help defend the territory.
There's a strong alpha, Hutcherson,
but he's different to Jackson.
He doesn't dominate in the same way.
Here, power is shared more equally.
And all the adult males
have important roles.
Garrison is one of those males.
He's getting old for a male chimp,
but with age comes knowledge.
He knows every tree at Ngogo.
He has a map
of the entire forest in his head.
If there's food to be found,
he'll find it.
Foraging is hard work.
Often for small rewards.
This time, Garrison has led the westerners
to a rare treat.
Chimps love wild honey.
But it doesn't last long,
and it won't feed the whole group.
For that,
the westerners need fruit.
Ripe fruit
is the most important food at Ngogo.
And right now,
the most prized fruit trees are
at the edge of the western territory.
On the border
of Jackson's central group.
Rollins is the west's patrol leader.
He's been guarding
the borders of Ngogo for many years.
Damien is his younger brother.
He's still just a teenager.
But he's already strong
confident
and very smart.
On visits to the borderlands,
it's these formidable brothers
who lead the way.
As they get closer to the border,
Garrison keeps a watchful eye on everyone.
They've entered the borderlands.
Jackson's central group also feed here,
so it's a dangerous part of the forest.
But it's worth the risk.
There's a huge fig tree in full fruit.
Exactly what the group needs.
Most of the group are happily feeding.
Rollins and Damien
are not.
Patrolling is partly
about guarding resources.
But that's not all.
Chimps will always try
to expand their territory if they can.
And they do it
by finding and attacking rivals.
If they can outnumber them.
So Rollins and Damien can't go alone.
The other males
will need to follow close behind.
They are moving deep
into central territory.
Their group is small,
and they don't know how many enemy chimps
they might encounter.
They must be careful
and quiet.
Damien has been with Rollins
his whole life.
The connection between them is strong.
On a stealth mission,
that can be the difference
between life and death.
The patrol has heard something.
It's Pork Pie.
And he's alone.
Like humans,
chimpanzees are social creatures.
But unlike us,
their ability to form relationships
is limited to members of their own group.
They are inescapably territorial
and tribal.
It's in their nature
to compete for resources.
And to see chimps
from rival groups as others,
to be attacked and destroyed.
Chimpanzee life is
a never-ending conflict.
To the westerners,
Pork Pie was an outsider.
And once they found him alone,
his fate was sealed.
All chimps have two sides.
Adult males like Rollins
can be gentle and playful.
And they can be brutally violent.
But that violent side
is essential to this society.
Territorial conflicts between groups
are not a battle for wealth.
They are a battle for survival.
The westerners have many mouths to feed.
And the group is growing.
They need more territory.
And more food.
They are in conflict
with a bigger, more powerful group.
So the odds are stacked against them.
For now.
The western group might be smaller
but it's united.
There's a strong sense of togetherness.
And support.
Garbo is the oldest chimp at Ngogo.
Sixty-five is an incredible age
for a chimpanzee.
And she still plays her part
in the community.
It helps that her son is the alpha.
With him to look out for her,
Garbo has a good life
and is treated with respect.
Garbo has another son
Richmond.
Who also takes care of his mother,
despite his own problems.
As a young chimp,
Richmond lost his hand
to a poacher's snare.
Even though everything in the forest
is more difficult
he hasn't just survived,
he's prospered.
Richmond was once the western alpha,
until his younger brother
replaced him at the top.
But he still has power
and influence.
The small number
of adult males in the west
puts them at risk if their rivalry
with the central group escalates.
There are younger males on the way up.
But the journey can be difficult.
Bergl is an orphan,
so he's had to grow up quickly
and find ways to get by.
But as an adolescent male,
he's changing
and wants to start asserting himself.
He's trying to perform dominance displays.
He needs to be careful.
He's beginning to attract attention.
At this stage of a male chimp's life
the established males
start to see them as a rival.
Bergl's little displays
are enough to get him in trouble.
One day, Bergl's aggression
might help the west against their enemies.
For now, he's been put in his place
and has picked up a nasty hand injury.
Joya is also an orphan.
She's the same age as Bergl.
And she's also beginning to change.
Her maternal instincts
are starting to develop,
and she wants to help out
with the infants.
With no mother to learn from
her parenting skills
are a work in progress.
Unlike Bergl, when it comes to Joya
everyone is very tolerant.
And there are experienced mothers
she can use as a role model.
Carson already has two children.
And she's pregnant again.
She's a good mother,
but here in the west, she has to be more.
She joins the males on patrol.
And she hunts.
The westerners hunt as a group.
Males and females,
side by side.
Black-and-white colobus monkeys
are not an easy target.
They're fast and agile.
And to catch them,
the chimps must work together.
Hunting is tough for Richmond.
But he knows it's worth keeping up.
It's a successful hunt.
And there's meat to be shared
in the treetops.
If Richmond wants his cut,
he'll need to go up and claim it.
Garbo was too old for the hunt,
but that doesn't mean
she can't get a share.
Garbo provided for Richmond
as he was growing up.
And now he provides for her.
Life can be tough at Ngogo.
And having a family to rely on
can make things a little easier.
Most chimps have a strong bond
with their mother.
But Bergl has no family.
All male chimps go through this stage.
And they all get
a few beatings along the way.
But things are harder for an orphan.
With no mother to comfort him
Bergl is spending time alone.
It's not just bonding he's missing.
Grooming is essential for staying healthy.
Without it,
Bergl could be vulnerable.
Chimps don't normally do much in the rain,
but the westerners aren't taking shelter.
They all seem energized by the storm.
As a group
they're growing stronger.
Bergl is still alone.
And he's become sick.
His face is infected by a parasite.
He needs help.
A duiker would normally
be afraid of a chimp.
But in this state,
Bergl is no threat.
Most of the group
haven't noticed Bergl is missing.
Someone has though.
As they get older,
male chimps become less aggressive
and more caring.
And sometimes,
they'll step in to take care of an orphan.
The western group needs Bergl.
But if he's going to find his place,
he'll need to learn
to control his aggression.
And with a chimp
as experienced as Garrison to support him,
there's hope.
Joya is spending
more and more time with the infants.
She's learning.
And when the time comes
to start her own family,
she'll be ready.
Bergl and Joya are finding their way.
Slowly learning to play their roles
in chimp society.
That society needs to be sustained.
So, like every day of their lives,
the westerners must set out
to search for food.
Damien has discovered something.
And it's not an everyday piece of fruit.
It's Chrysophyllum.
The rarest, richest bounty of Ngogo.
It appears in a massive crop
once every few years.
It's unpredictable,
and when it happens,
it provides more food
than the chimps can eat.
Most of the Chrysophyllum trees
lie over the border
in the central territory.
But the western males know
exactly where to find them.
Because for many years,
those trees
and that territory
belonged to them.
And now the time has come
to take it back.
A chimp has been killed
in the heart of the Ngogo territory.
It's Pork Pie.
For this to happen,
the killers had to enter
the territory unnoticed.
Only one other group could have done this.
A group the Ngogo chimps
know only too well.
The westerners.
War is coming to Ngogo.
The chimps of western Ngogo
are a separate group
with their own territory.
The westerners are different.
Their group is much smaller
than Jackson's central group.
But they stick together.
And that gives them strength.
There are just eight adult males
compared to 24 in the central group.
So the females
stand together with the males
and help defend the territory.
There's a strong alpha, Hutcherson,
but he's different to Jackson.
He doesn't dominate in the same way.
Here, power is shared more equally.
And all the adult males
have important roles.
Garrison is one of those males.
He's getting old for a male chimp,
but with age comes knowledge.
He knows every tree at Ngogo.
He has a map
of the entire forest in his head.
If there's food to be found,
he'll find it.
Foraging is hard work.
Often for small rewards.
This time, Garrison has led the westerners
to a rare treat.
Chimps love wild honey.
But it doesn't last long,
and it won't feed the whole group.
For that,
the westerners need fruit.
Ripe fruit
is the most important food at Ngogo.
And right now,
the most prized fruit trees are
at the edge of the western territory.
On the border
of Jackson's central group.
Rollins is the west's patrol leader.
He's been guarding
the borders of Ngogo for many years.
Damien is his younger brother.
He's still just a teenager.
But he's already strong
confident
and very smart.
On visits to the borderlands,
it's these formidable brothers
who lead the way.
As they get closer to the border,
Garrison keeps a watchful eye on everyone.
They've entered the borderlands.
Jackson's central group also feed here,
so it's a dangerous part of the forest.
But it's worth the risk.
There's a huge fig tree in full fruit.
Exactly what the group needs.
Most of the group are happily feeding.
Rollins and Damien
are not.
Patrolling is partly
about guarding resources.
But that's not all.
Chimps will always try
to expand their territory if they can.
And they do it
by finding and attacking rivals.
If they can outnumber them.
So Rollins and Damien can't go alone.
The other males
will need to follow close behind.
They are moving deep
into central territory.
Their group is small,
and they don't know how many enemy chimps
they might encounter.
They must be careful
and quiet.
Damien has been with Rollins
his whole life.
The connection between them is strong.
On a stealth mission,
that can be the difference
between life and death.
The patrol has heard something.
It's Pork Pie.
And he's alone.
Like humans,
chimpanzees are social creatures.
But unlike us,
their ability to form relationships
is limited to members of their own group.
They are inescapably territorial
and tribal.
It's in their nature
to compete for resources.
And to see chimps
from rival groups as others,
to be attacked and destroyed.
Chimpanzee life is
a never-ending conflict.
To the westerners,
Pork Pie was an outsider.
And once they found him alone,
his fate was sealed.
All chimps have two sides.
Adult males like Rollins
can be gentle and playful.
And they can be brutally violent.
But that violent side
is essential to this society.
Territorial conflicts between groups
are not a battle for wealth.
They are a battle for survival.
The westerners have many mouths to feed.
And the group is growing.
They need more territory.
And more food.
They are in conflict
with a bigger, more powerful group.
So the odds are stacked against them.
For now.
The western group might be smaller
but it's united.
There's a strong sense of togetherness.
And support.
Garbo is the oldest chimp at Ngogo.
Sixty-five is an incredible age
for a chimpanzee.
And she still plays her part
in the community.
It helps that her son is the alpha.
With him to look out for her,
Garbo has a good life
and is treated with respect.
Garbo has another son
Richmond.
Who also takes care of his mother,
despite his own problems.
As a young chimp,
Richmond lost his hand
to a poacher's snare.
Even though everything in the forest
is more difficult
he hasn't just survived,
he's prospered.
Richmond was once the western alpha,
until his younger brother
replaced him at the top.
But he still has power
and influence.
The small number
of adult males in the west
puts them at risk if their rivalry
with the central group escalates.
There are younger males on the way up.
But the journey can be difficult.
Bergl is an orphan,
so he's had to grow up quickly
and find ways to get by.
But as an adolescent male,
he's changing
and wants to start asserting himself.
He's trying to perform dominance displays.
He needs to be careful.
He's beginning to attract attention.
At this stage of a male chimp's life
the established males
start to see them as a rival.
Bergl's little displays
are enough to get him in trouble.
One day, Bergl's aggression
might help the west against their enemies.
For now, he's been put in his place
and has picked up a nasty hand injury.
Joya is also an orphan.
She's the same age as Bergl.
And she's also beginning to change.
Her maternal instincts
are starting to develop,
and she wants to help out
with the infants.
With no mother to learn from
her parenting skills
are a work in progress.
Unlike Bergl, when it comes to Joya
everyone is very tolerant.
And there are experienced mothers
she can use as a role model.
Carson already has two children.
And she's pregnant again.
She's a good mother,
but here in the west, she has to be more.
She joins the males on patrol.
And she hunts.
The westerners hunt as a group.
Males and females,
side by side.
Black-and-white colobus monkeys
are not an easy target.
They're fast and agile.
And to catch them,
the chimps must work together.
Hunting is tough for Richmond.
But he knows it's worth keeping up.
It's a successful hunt.
And there's meat to be shared
in the treetops.
If Richmond wants his cut,
he'll need to go up and claim it.
Garbo was too old for the hunt,
but that doesn't mean
she can't get a share.
Garbo provided for Richmond
as he was growing up.
And now he provides for her.
Life can be tough at Ngogo.
And having a family to rely on
can make things a little easier.
Most chimps have a strong bond
with their mother.
But Bergl has no family.
All male chimps go through this stage.
And they all get
a few beatings along the way.
But things are harder for an orphan.
With no mother to comfort him
Bergl is spending time alone.
It's not just bonding he's missing.
Grooming is essential for staying healthy.
Without it,
Bergl could be vulnerable.
Chimps don't normally do much in the rain,
but the westerners aren't taking shelter.
They all seem energized by the storm.
As a group
they're growing stronger.
Bergl is still alone.
And he's become sick.
His face is infected by a parasite.
He needs help.
A duiker would normally
be afraid of a chimp.
But in this state,
Bergl is no threat.
Most of the group
haven't noticed Bergl is missing.
Someone has though.
As they get older,
male chimps become less aggressive
and more caring.
And sometimes,
they'll step in to take care of an orphan.
The western group needs Bergl.
But if he's going to find his place,
he'll need to learn
to control his aggression.
And with a chimp
as experienced as Garrison to support him,
there's hope.
Joya is spending
more and more time with the infants.
She's learning.
And when the time comes
to start her own family,
she'll be ready.
Bergl and Joya are finding their way.
Slowly learning to play their roles
in chimp society.
That society needs to be sustained.
So, like every day of their lives,
the westerners must set out
to search for food.
Damien has discovered something.
And it's not an everyday piece of fruit.
It's Chrysophyllum.
The rarest, richest bounty of Ngogo.
It appears in a massive crop
once every few years.
It's unpredictable,
and when it happens,
it provides more food
than the chimps can eat.
Most of the Chrysophyllum trees
lie over the border
in the central territory.
But the western males know
exactly where to find them.
Because for many years,
those trees
and that territory
belonged to them.
And now the time has come
to take it back.