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Chimps are such racists

Albino chimp baby murdered by its elders days after rare sighting



A 19-year-old female chimp, which the researchers referred to as "UP," was known to be pregnant in January 2018, and on July 15 of that same year, she was seen carrying a "white" infant, later confirmed to be a male. Judging by the infant's size and the last recorded sighting of UP, the team estimated that the albino newborn was about 2- to 2-and-a-half weeks old.

Later on July 15, a pair of adult chimps encountered UP and the albino infant and began producing "alarm hoos and waa barks," sounds that chimps often make when facing potentially dangerous animals, like snakes and bush pigs, the authors wrote. Another male chimp heard these hoos and barks, as well as UP screaming, and rushed into the area; he struck UP before clambering up a tree and starting to produce alarm hoos and waa barks, as well. 

Over the next few minutes, several more adult chimps entered the area and joined in the ruckus. But a few adult chimps remained quiet and simply watched UP and the infant attentively; one calm individual even approached and reached out to UP with its hand. At some point, UP rushed up a tree, with the infant clinging to her chest, and stayed there for some time before climbing down and ducking from sight inside a dense thicket. Researchers spotted her and the infant a few more times that morning. On one occasion, an adult male let out a "tantrum scream on encountering (likely unexpectedly) UP and the baby at a close distance."

Just days later, on July 19, the young chimp met his end. 

In the early morning, field assistant Bosco Chandia of the Budongo Conservation Field Station and researcher Maël Leroux, who holds positions with the field station and University of Zürich, came upon a large group of chimps erupting in a chorus of hoos, waa barks and screams. Sounds of physical aggression and the screams of an infant drifted from the thicket, but the team could not see the individual chimps involved in the encounter.

Soon, a male known as "HW" emerged from the vegetation, clutching the albino infant to his chest. The infant's left arm was missing, and the wound appeared fresh. Six adult chimps and three younger chimps of various ages followed HW, and the researchers also spotted UP in the throng. All were producing waa barks at HW as he climbed a tree, infant in hand, and started "biting the fingers, legs and the right ear of the infant." At this point, UP was chased from the party by one of the adult males.

A few minutes later, an adult female took the infant from HW and began biting its limbs and head while other chimps sniffed the body. The female then "bit the infant's head repeatedly, apparently causing its death, as the infant remained silent and stopped moving after the bite," the authors wrote.

https://www.livescience.com/albino-chimp...icide.html