Until now, an albino chimpanzee had not been seen in the wild. Unfortunately, the group it lived with killed it, which generated controversy and expectation among experts.

First Wild Albino Chimpanzee Cub Dies

It suffered from total albinism, and researchers noted it was no more than 19 days old at the first sighting. Four days later, the baby was seen being carried by the alpha male of the Sonso community. Subsequently, the baby’s mother was expelled, and the albino was fatally bitten by several adults in the community.​

The adults’ reactions were unusual. Most adults reacted with fear and even made alarm calls associated with sightings of snakes, wild pigs, or unknown humans.​

For Maël Leroux, scientist at the University of Zurich, the case of the albino chimpanzee could be a new pillar of research. According to coverage by New Scientist, “The baby ape was born with shiny white fur and a total lack of pigmentation.” In this sense, it was a unique opportunity to study how other chimpanzees would interact with it. The result was anything but favorable.​

Unfortunately, the baby was born into a community characterized by high infanticide rates. At just a few weeks old, the albino chimpanzee was murdered by mature group members. Leroux and his collaborators have studied this group for years in the Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda. It wasn’t until 2018 that they recorded a female’s pregnancy in the pack.​

Researchers Propose Reasons for These Reactions

It is not uncommon for females of certain primate species to adopt unrelated cubs left to their fate after their parents’ death. In other groups, these maternal actions are less frequent. Such is the case with chimpanzees, in whom a tendency toward infanticide has been observed among wild communities. Such was the fate of the first known specimen of albino chimpanzee: a few weeks after birth, it lost its life at the hands of adult specimens.​

They may have perceived the baby as an unusual individual or object. Some approached the dead baby cautiously. On the other hand, it is thought that the chimpanzee’s coloration made the community think it was a colobus monkey (prey of chimpanzees). Perhaps the adults found it intriguing that the “prey” smelled and seemed like a chimpanzee.​

According to observation reports from the scientists in charge, the baby died after attacks by an alpha male. It died on July 19, a few days after the first sighting. After the incident, biologists approached to recover the body. It was then they confirmed the condition: pink eyes, skin and hair without pigment. However, Leroux doubts whether the killing was caused by this reason.​

On the contrary, the expert believes the albino chimpanzee died as a result of the community’s general infanticidal tendency. The same female’s previous baby was killed in the same way, without being albino. According to researchers, alpha males carry out these practices to prevent females from raising unrelated babies and to sire new specimens only with them.​

The autopsy confirmed the baby died from head wounds caused by a bite from an adult chimpanzee. The cub’s body was bitten and mutilated.​

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