Introduction.

Hierarchy achievements in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) has been noticed to be so great that an individual has to fight for it. Being our closest relatives, chimpanzees have something in common like humans in terms of leadership. In order to achieve this goal, unity has to be among them, that is, alliance and friendship formation. According to Chimpanzee Politics by Frans de Waal, a chimpanzee community is governed by the law of the strongest.

The Sonso chimpanzee community is currently comprised of 70 individuals although death has occurred to some members. Their population has at least been slightly stable for quite some time. From the time of habituation to date, this community has been monitored for over three decades since September 1990. Throughout that period, some changes in hierarchy have been observed. Mainly giving away of power and receiving it.

From 1990 up to date, six alpha males have so far governed the Sonso community. Namely: Magosi (MG), Duane (DN), Zefa (ZF) and Nick (NK) and now Hawa (HW). Out of those five males, Duane had two regimes.

In 1990 when the Budongo Forest Project was founded now Budongo Conservation Field Station by Dr. Vernon Reynolds now Professor, and throughout the habituation process the Sonso chimpanzee community was under the leadership of an old guy whom we named Magosi. Politically he was ok with his community members throughout his reign until he was over thrown by Duane. He would be aggressive only when that time comes to show his powers as a boss. He had many adult male subordinates and they were all loyal to him at all times. 

He was a good leader indeed however, besides that, he also had some weakness with him as a leader as time went by. This came as a result that he was growing old in the process. He ruled for 5 years. He could have ruled for more than those years, for the time we started habituating the group he was already there as alpha before September 1990.

Throughout Magosi’s reign, DNA sequence indicated that he sired six offsprings of which were 5 males and a female. Namely:  Muga, Nick, Bwoba, Gonza, Musa and Zig. 

In 1995, an alliance was formed between two great friends Duane and Vernon (both chimpanzees). They ganged against Magosi and fought him out. That gave Duane political space of attending the throne in the community. Duane was a beta male in the community by then before becoming alpha of the community. Duane and Vernon were inseparable companions. Even when his colleague took over power they were always together. After being over thrown, Magosi remained loyal to his successor community up to the time of his death. However, he was still respected though he was of law rank.  Unfortunately, he died of old age.

 DUANE AS THE NEXT ALPHA                                                                    

Duane, with the prominent brown ridged, grey back hairs, and pronounced dimples, was the second alpha of the Sonso community. He was named after Professor Vernon’s best friend, the late Professor Duane Quiatt from the United States. Naming of the two individuals depended on how the Research Assistants observed them according to their features and how friendship was by then.

When Duane took over power their friendship did not end however, Vernon became the second in command and they were always in close proximity most of their time. He was also a good leader and almost liked by everyone regardless of his higher status. He would socialize with any member he came across say grooming and playing. He was so energetic with a threatening face and large lips. Looking in to his face alone you could obviously tell that he is the alpha.

He was so active in all aspects. For instance protecting his territory, organizing regular patrols, keeping the group members together so tactful and sure of himself. He could leave the community for some time, come back and still be respected. He once left the community for three months and returned with three sub-adult females and all were in estrous. Being so popular, strong and respected, those did not mean that he was the only bull in the kraal.

In 1998 through political power struggle, an adolescent male named Zesta, one of the middle ranking members, was also trying his ambition. He could always perform his displays even when the alpha was in close proximity without fear. Indeed he was trying and threatening to become alpha which was yet hard for him.

The same year in the early morning hours there was a sub-adult female named Janie (JN), she still exists in the community, she was in estrous stage four. Whenever she is in estrous, she is very popular and much liked by all males. The stage where the alpha had to take charge over her in a way of restricting others from accessing her. That time he was in control taking the full charge of her. Without fear, Zesta solicited a copulation. Duane was nearer to Janie. Zesta solicited again until she approached and presented. Duane was not happy for what had happened he was taking full charge on her. He immediately interfered the copulation.  Zesta retaliated and displayed back to Duane due to anger but he lost the battle. Duane turned against Zesta and he was joined up by his subordinates they punished Zesta severely. He was brutally murdered through biting, kicking and pounding. Duane and Black were the most active individuals. He died the same day. His skeleton is still seen in the Field station’s Museum.  Males present that day and watched what happened to their colleague, feared Duane. That one alone gave Duane chance to being in leadership for years. Liberators do not live for long.  Vernon the beta male and the best ally to Duane, was last seen alive 29/06/1999. He was speared while crop raiding sugarcane in the nearest village Nyakafunjo. His remain was found by the periphery of the forest. The death of Vernon indeed hurt Duane as a friend, however, that could not scare him from his status, he instead continued with the leadership. Among the bad things he did, he severely aggressed Zimba and Lola respectively for he wanted to take them on consortship at different months. Zimba was attacked by the strange community from the west she was not seen again while Lola died of internal bleeding. First she was aggressed by Black and fell off the tree in the Royal Mile secondly, by Duane. and broke her clavicle bone.

 NEXT TAKE OVER                                                                                                                              

From the beginning of year 2006, some commotion had started within the community. There were many aggressions but no confrontation. As time went by, direct displays started. Zefa could perform his displays but with care for the alpha, who by then was still strong.

On 3/6/2006 Zefa became more courageous and directed his display to Duane. It was a Public Holiday. The Uganda Matrys day. The fight took place off grid north. He over threw Duane and became the third alpha of the community. Although he took over power, never the less he did not have much support from the entire community members. He was fond of vocalizing and buttress drumming quite a lot. His call was distinctive.

His regime was short lived compared to other alphas. He was in power for four months. Duane waged war against him. In Uganda’ history, for instance the late President Professor Yusuf Kironde Lule (RIP) during the Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) Government, he ruled for 68 days. Zefa was well known for taking females on consortship. He was among the four individuals who died during the cough outbreak early March 2019. He died together with Squibs, Kwezi and Gal. His body was found on 6th March 2019.  

DUANE’S SECOND REGIME             

On 13/10/2006, towards the end of our usual working hours in the evening, Zefa started displaying Duane. He displayed continuously but Duane was avoiding, instead pant grunting and running away from him.  Time came where he could not handle so he retaliated also by fighting back. With the support of the present individuals they joined him and fought Zefa out of the seat. Duane still had the mandate from the group members, that is why they joined hand with and chased him. That marked the end of Zefa from the race of leader ship.

Duane ruled twice like what happened in Uganda where Dr. Apollo Milton Obote (RIP) who ruled for two regimes. Duane was reinstated following his good behavior and leadership.

During his second regime, though he still had a mandate of the community members, that time not all were in favour of him at all. Someone was eyeing for his rank as alpha. There was no any other but Nick (NK). He was 24 years by then and was always giving Duane hard time like what happened between 1980 and 1985 in Uganda. By doing all that, Nick was determined to become alpha by hook or crook and indeed it happened. Duane was observed respecting Nick by pant grunting to him. Only that indicated that Duane had become subordinate to Nick.

Duane on 26/2/2008 died of a sudden death just within only 20 minutes an autopsy was conducted samples were taken to Germany. He was suspected to have died of heart attack. He is yet regarded as the longest serving alpha male in the Sonso community. He sired six off springs and all females.  Namely: Rose, Keti, Shida, Janet and Kumi. and Marion.

NICK’S REIGN                                                            

At his young age, Nick became alpha as a surprise for nobody expected him to be who he was that time. As he took over power, there was much commotion amongst the community to begin with. More especially males.  Power sharing became a problem. A lot of aggressions were observed and recorded. Every male was eyeing for the next rank not to remain on the former. Fighting among themselves was so rampant. They all became very hostile. That raised fear and much concern among Field assistants and Researchers during that time.

For that matter, data collection among males was put aside only females could be focused. That meant giving ample time to males in order to sort out their differences among themselves. That decision really worked out very well, their hierarchy was streamlined and later they normalized. Data collection resumed as usual.

Late 2006, Nick the notorious, young as he was, became the fifth alpha of the Sonso community. He was a non-friendly alpha however; he only socialized with Zefa and possibly Simon once in a while. He had known that Zefa could not challenge him for power. He was ever terrorizing the community both males and females at least every day. As a way of hindering other males from challenging him in leader ship, he injured most of the males. He was so aggressive compared to the former leaders. Although he was aggressive, he had a weakness of being so cowardly. He couldn’t confront an enemy instead he always remained behind. In November 2012 he messed up by copulating his mother Ruhara twice. No big males have had never been observed copulating their mothers. That was a really point of weakness from him. He lost power in 2013. Throughout his harsh reign, he sired eleven offsprings namely Honey, Faida, Sokomoko, Karibu, Kathy, Heri, Twenty, Jacob, Kaija, Faith and Ozzie.  He disappeared during the mango season year 2022 together with his young brother Zig. Possibly, both are likely to have been attacked by other community or murdered by humans. 

HAWA BECOMES ALPHA AFTER NICK

Hawa is an adult male suspected to have been born in 1993. He was a son of Jambo who was murdered in a sugarcane plantation in the neighbouring village of Nyakafunjo, and Harriet. His mother Harriet was first observed in the community with Hawa still a juvenile in 1996.

He has a slit on the left ear. Around his nose, he has some ridges, he is long and dark bodied. He is also very aggressive but not like his predecessor Nick. He is fond of throwing objects during his displays compared to his colleagues within the community.

Before he became alpha, on 14th of March 2013 while the group members were busy feeding on ripe fruits of an Antiaris toxicaria in block A5, he puffed up displayed passed through party, accidentally, he met Sharlot(ST) along his way. He got hold of her leg swung her three times and threw her in space.

She fell from a height of 30m to the ground. Fortunately, she survived death but it took her time to be active again. The second incidence was another display to Night the daughter to Nambi the alpha female of the Sonso community. He threw her from a height of 35m and she was not injured. He has also taken part in some infanticide acts joining Frank, Simon and Musa.

He attained the alpha ship status on 7th of July 2014 to December 2016. Even though he became alpha, within those two years, he faced much challenges from the gang of four males such as Musa, Squibs, Fred and Frank. In January 2017, he was aggressed the previous day. The following morning, he was observed with a ripped scrotum and both testicles could be seen from a distance. That made him weak and started avoiding the main group. During that time, we saw Musa becoming active for roughly one to two weeks and Musa was actually suspected to have become an alpha. Later, Hawa recovered and attained his status as alpha to date. According to DNA sequencing, results indicates that he has never fathered any off spring. Possibly, he might be chanced and get from the current newly born infants.

Cite as

Muhumuza, Geresomu. (2023). Hierarchy in the Sonso Chimpanzees Community Budongo Forest Reserve Masindi District Uganda. Perspectives Collective Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8420572