ChimpanzeesActs of cannibalism and infanticide are very evident in the behavior of chimpanzees. Many African studies show that wild chimpanzees kill and eat the young of their own species. (Goodall, 1986:151) Although there is no clear answer as to why chimpanzees engage in this very violent and sometimes gruesome behavior, many ideas and suggestions exist. This essay will deal with chimpanzee aggression, cannibalism, and infanticide. This article will present information on major research studies conducted in Africa and analyze how and why this strange behavior occurs in a commonly thought to be peaceful primate. Wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are known to kill and eat mammals in various parts of Africa. Monkeys were recorded to be consumed in Gombe National Park, Kasakati Basin and Budongo Forest. Additionally, there is new evidence that chimpanzees near the Ugalla River in western Tanzania also consume mammals. (Riss, 1990:167). Cannibalism has also been recorded in Budongo Forest, Mahale Mountains and Gombe National Park. In Jane Goodall's, May A 1979 National Geographic article titled "Life and Death in Gombe" reveals the first time that chimpanzees, who had always been perceived as playful, gentle apes, could suddenly become dangerous killers. “I knew that some of our chimpanzees, so gentle for the most part, could occasionally become savage killers, ruthless cannibals, and that they had their own form of primitive warfare.” (Goodall, 1979:594) To try to explain this ruthless behavior it is necessary to first analyze their social upbringing and unique lifestyle. Chimpanzee society is clearly an aggressive, male-dominated social unit. Males are larger than females, are more overtly aggressive, and fight more often. (Holloway, 1974:261) These fights can appear extremely ferocious and the victim screams loudly. But it is rare for a fight between community members to last more than a quarter of a minute, and it is even more unusual for such a fight to result in serious injury. (Goodall, 1992:7) Many clashes erupt suddenly. Later the loser of the fight, although clearly fearful of the attacker, will beg... halfway through the paper... there has been no evidence to reveal why chimpanzees act and behave in this way cannibalistic way. There are many theories and ideas but, as with the theory of evolution, there is no clear answer. As the closest living relative to humans, chimpanzees exhibit complicated and intricate behavior due to their advanced brains. (Zuckerman, 1932: 171) This article revealed that chimpanzees are extreme creatures: aggressive one moment, peaceful the next. This gruesome and violent behavior may actually be linked to a resemblance to humans. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that chimpanzees are the closest human relatives we have. If we are truly superior to these primates, isn't it logical that humans should be able to learn from this violence and avoid it? Jane Goodall, in her article entitled "Life and Death in Gombe" draws a similar conclusion: It is disappointing that our new awareness of chimpanzee violence forces us to recognize that these our ape cousins ​​are even more like humans than we previously thought..