Chimp Empire (2023) s01e03 Episode Script
War
1
[plucked string music playing]
[thrum of insects getting louder]
[music becomes solemn]
[grunting]
When scientists first arrived at Ngogo
[music intensifies]
they discovered
an advanced chimpanzee society.
Over the decades, that society
grew to become the biggest chimp group
ever known.
They expanded their territory,
dominated the forest,
and built an empire.
[hooting, whooping]
But rivalries developed,
and the empire divided.
[music darkens]
A small but powerful band of males
broke away to form their own group.
They became
the westerners.
Chimps that lived together for years
[chimp bark nearby]
became enemies.
[music darkens]
And now
their rivalry
has turned deadly.
[music intensifies, fades out]
[somber tone getting rapidly louder]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[bird calling]
[thrumming of insects]
[tense music fading in]
It's still just a few days
since the central chimps
found Pork Pie dead.
[music intensifies]
It's not known
what chimps understand about death
or whether they grieve.
But the loss of Pork Pie
has clearly had an impact.
[hoots softly]
For the central chimps,
the world has become more dangerous.
[music gradually fading out]
Christine's baby is now nine months old.
When she first arrived,
her sister, Nadine, was neglected.
[baby grunting]
Now she's a little older,
and her personality
is beginning to develop
she's begun to add to Nadine's life.
[gentle optimistic music playing]
They're not only sisters.
They're best friends.
[grunting playfully]
[loud thrumming of insects]
Ngogo is never richer in food
than when Chrysophyllum is in fruit.
And it brings the chimps together.
[grunting rhythmically]
Jackson is still under pressure.
Abrams is back in his place,
but he won't give up.
Jackson needs to remind everyone
who is in charge.
[hooting loudly]
[dramatic music playing]
[hoots, shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[hooting]
[shrieking]
[Jackson yelling]
- [nearby shrieking]
- [hooting]
[high rhythmic hooting]
[distant shrieking]
[noises gradually fading out]
While Jackson is focused
on dominating at home,
other chimps are standing guard
at the western border
alert to the new threat they face.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Abrams is here.
[music intensifies]
And so are several other adult males.
[music intensifies]
But they have no way of knowing
when the westerners will strike again.
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[birds calling, insects buzzing]
The life of an alpha male isn't easy.
But it comes with benefits.
Generally, the higher a chimp's rank,
the more opportunities they have to mate.
Mature females like Bartoli
normally give birth
every five or six years.
[branch cracks]
[ambient music playing]
[music becomes poignant]
Bartoli's son, Herzog,
is six years old now,
and she's ready to get pregnant again.
[quirky music playing]
She could do a lot worse
than Jackson's genes.
But she needs to be cautious.
Jackson is big,
powerful, and unpredictable.
She needs to keep herself and Herzog safe
and ensure that Jackson is calm.
Herzog finds the whole thing confusing.
But as a young chimp,
he has to stay close to his mother.
Whatever she's doing.
[Bartoli shrieking]
[Bartoli grunting rhythmically]
[music becomes suspenseful]
Jackson is making his move.
By waving a branch,
he's asking Bartoli to follow him
and mate.
And Bartoli seems keen.
[hoots softly]
[grunting rhythmically]
- Herzog makes an attempt to break it up.
- [Herzog shrieking]
But it's too late.
[hooting rhythmically]
Jackson got what he wanted.
And so did Bartoli.
But it's been a tiring day.
Female chimps mate with multiple males.
So there's no guarantee
Jackson will be
the father of Bartoli's baby.
He stands a good chance though.
Because it's happened before.
Although Jackson doesn't know it,
Herzog is his son.
[monkeys croaking rhythmically]
Chimps don't always hunt
because they are hungry.
[menacing music playing]
In fact, usually the opposite is true.
They hunt much more
when they are well-fed
and bursting with energy.
[music intensifies]
When Chrysophyllum is in full fruit,
hunting goes into overdrive.
[chimps screeching]
[music intensifies]
[music intensifies, abates]
Chimpanzees don't conserve resources
or think about the nature
of what they are eating.
[shrieking nearby]
With this many kills,
meat sharing is highly political.
[distant shrieking]
For Jackson, this big duiker
is an opportunity
to strengthen his position
by sharing with his allies.
[excited grunting]
[loud rhythmic hooting]
Today, he's favoring
another high-ranking male.
Peterson.
But just as important
is who he's excluding.
[tense music playing]
- [grunting loudly]
- [shrieks]
[jarring string music playing quietly]
[music darkens]
Wilson is an up-and-coming young male.
He's strong,
and he's ambitious.
[music intensifies]
Jackson is not including him.
And he's taking it badly.
[music intensifies]
[Wilson shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking fades out]
The males can be aggressive around meat,
and the females need to tread carefully.
[faint drumbeat playing]
Christine wants a share.
And she's willing to take the risk.
[drumbeat getting louder]
Wilson is watching carefully.
[drumbeat stops]
Christine got what she came for.
But she may not get to keep it.
[rhythmic shrieking]
[screeching]
[dramatic music playing]
Wilson is taking out his frustrations.
[music abates]
[music fades out]
Fortunately, the baby wasn't hurt.
But Christine needs to take
her family away to safety.
[creature trilling loudly]
[suckling]
[trilling fades out]
This is a quiet part of the forest,
away from most of the group.
But Christine is not alone.
[optimistic music playing]
Gus can't offer protection
from a chimp like Wilson.
But at least he can offer some comfort
to Christine and her family.
[baby grunting rhythmically]
[distant screeching]
[yawning]
Abrams' challenge to Jackson has stalled.
[solemn drumbeat and music playing]
Jackson is propped up
by some powerful allies.
[music intensifies]
[music darkens]
And Abrams is lacking support.
But now there's another
ambitious young chimp
with a grudge against Jackson.
[drumbeat accelerates]
This could be the beginning
of a powerful alliance.
[drumbeat stops]
[music abates]
[music reprises]
[chimps shrieking]
For now, Abrams and Wilson
are joining a group of males
to patrol westwards.
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
Jackson is not with them.
As powerful as he is in his own territory,
Jackson fears the west.
[tense music playing]
He grew up in the west
and was allies with the westerners
for many years.
But when the group split,
he deserted them
to reign as alpha
of the bigger central group.
As conflict erupted,
the western males targeted Jackson.
[music darkens]
He escaped with his life.
But he still bears the scars.
The westerners are a threat
to all the central males.
But they hold
a bitter grudge against Jackson.
And he fears them to this day.
[music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[creatures calling, chimps hooting]
The borderlands
are filled with Chrysophyllum.
The westerners are spending
more and more time here feeding.
After killing Pork Pie,
they've grown in confidence.
And there are chimps in the group
that won't stop there.
[gentle poignant music playing]
Rollins and Damien
will always want more territory.
[undergrowth rustles]
[hooting]
The western males are getting stronger.
[males hooting]
[grunting rhythmically]
They are constantly displaying.
[shrieking]
[hooting loudly]
[shrieking]
The westerners are getting ready
to make their move.
[music becomes dramatic]
[screeching]
[music abates]
[shrieking]
And Richmond is at the center of it.
[music intensifies]
[screeching]
[music, screeching subside]
He's not alpha anymore,
but he's still a chimp to be feared.
Bergl is back to full health.
[lively percussive music playing]
And that's not his only progress.
[music becomes optimistic]
He's regularly grooming with Garrison,
who seems to be a good influence.
And he's even started to bond
with the west's patrol leaders.
[solemn music playing]
[music becomes dramatic]
Wrestling is a good test of strength.
[grunting rhythmically]
And it gives Rollins and Damien
a chance to see what Bergl is made of.
[panting]
[groans]
[grunting, panting continue]
[activity peters out]
The westerners need
every chimp they've got.
If they're going to claim
this area for themselves,
they'll have to confront
the central chimps in their own territory
[solemn drumbeat playing]
and push them back.
For this, they need numbers.
So they'll travel in force,
males and females together.
[music intensifies]
[music continues]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[insects thrumming]
Bartoli and Herzog
are near the borderlands,
getting some peace away from Jackson
and the other central males.
It's much needed.
But she has no idea what's coming.
[undergrowth rustles]
[somber music playing]
[music intensifies]
If they're caught,
Herzog could be killed.
[music intensifies]
[undergrowth rustles]
[branch rattles]
[music darkens]
- [twig cracks]
- [Bartoli grunts]
[shrieks]
[screeching nearby]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking intensifies]
[shrieking, whooping]
[frantic screeching]
[music intensifies]
[music ends]
[noises trail off]
[Bartoli screeching]
A western male
is chasing Bartoli into the canopy.
[shrieking]
[music darkens]
She and Herzog have been separated.
[soft shrieking]
But Herzog won't leave his mother.
[music intensifies]
He's going to try to protect her.
[Herzog shrieking]
[Herzog screeching]
He's got the attacker's attention.
[high-pitched hooting]
But now they're both trapped
in the canopy
at the mercy
of the western males.
[hooting]
[tense music playing]
[chimp whimpering]
[jarring violin music playing]
But the westerners aren't attacking.
They're moving on.
[Herzog suckling]
[somber music playing]
A lone family is not
what the westerners are looking for.
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
Bartoli and Herzog
slip away together.
[music fades out]
[solemn music playing]
The westerners are pushing deeper
into the central territory.
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
And some chimps
are beginning to hesitate.
- [grunting nearby]
- [ceremonial drumbeat playing]
For Carson, the risk is too great.
And she's going to put
E.O.'s safety first.
[drumbeat continues]
Many females and younger chimps
will drop out
with the threat of real battle.
And Joya
is choosing to follow Carson home.
[drumbeat intensifies]
A chimp like Bergl should fall back too.
He's too young and too small.
But Bergl is staying.
He's grown in confidence.
And for him, conflict is in the blood.
[drumbeat fades out]
Although neither of them know it
he is Rollins's son.
[solemn music playing]
[grunting aggressively]
The western males
are deep inside the central territory.
And they can sense
their enemies are close.
[sniffing]
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
[deep trilling in distance]
The central chimps
have been caught off guard before.
But not this time.
This time, they're ready.
[dramatic music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[whoops, screeches]
[dramatic music rapidly accelerating]
[music climaxes, fades out]
[subdued hooting]
When two big groups come face-to-face,
the outcome is always unpredictable.
[dramatic music playing]
[whooping]
[shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[music intensifies]
The westerners attack.
[screeching, whooping]
And the centrallers meet them head-on.
Bergl is right in the middle of it.
[screeching, whooping continue]
[music intensifies]
The westerners are pushing
the centrallers back.
[frantic shrieking]
- [shrieking stops]
- [music fades out]
[solemn music playing]
[hooting softly]
But some chimps
still haven't joined the battle.
[music intensifies]
[shrieking]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
If the centrallers
are going to fight back,
it will be now, behind their alpha.
[drumbeat accelerates]
Jackson is face-to-face
with his old rivals.
The same chimps
that tried to kill him years ago.
- [whooping]
- [shrieking]
[drumbeat intensifies]
[panting rapidly]
[drumbeat ends]
Jackson shows no fear.
[screeching]
[dramatic music playing]
And his group get behind him.
[grunting rhythmically]
[shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking continues]
[music intensifies]
[frantic shrieking]
[whooping]
[music abates]
The westerners have been pushed back.
And they're retreating.
[hooting softly]
[hooting loudly]
[shrieking]
[birds chirping]
[insects thrumming]
The central chimps
have held off their rivals.
[melancholy music playing]
But Jackson has been injured
in the battle.
[music intensifies]
He defended his territory.
But at what cost?
[pensive music playing]
[melancholic piano music playing]
[plucked string music playing]
[thrum of insects getting louder]
[music becomes solemn]
[grunting]
When scientists first arrived at Ngogo
[music intensifies]
they discovered
an advanced chimpanzee society.
Over the decades, that society
grew to become the biggest chimp group
ever known.
They expanded their territory,
dominated the forest,
and built an empire.
[hooting, whooping]
But rivalries developed,
and the empire divided.
[music darkens]
A small but powerful band of males
broke away to form their own group.
They became
the westerners.
Chimps that lived together for years
[chimp bark nearby]
became enemies.
[music darkens]
And now
their rivalry
has turned deadly.
[music intensifies, fades out]
[somber tone getting rapidly louder]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[bird calling]
[thrumming of insects]
[tense music fading in]
It's still just a few days
since the central chimps
found Pork Pie dead.
[music intensifies]
It's not known
what chimps understand about death
or whether they grieve.
But the loss of Pork Pie
has clearly had an impact.
[hoots softly]
For the central chimps,
the world has become more dangerous.
[music gradually fading out]
Christine's baby is now nine months old.
When she first arrived,
her sister, Nadine, was neglected.
[baby grunting]
Now she's a little older,
and her personality
is beginning to develop
she's begun to add to Nadine's life.
[gentle optimistic music playing]
They're not only sisters.
They're best friends.
[grunting playfully]
[loud thrumming of insects]
Ngogo is never richer in food
than when Chrysophyllum is in fruit.
And it brings the chimps together.
[grunting rhythmically]
Jackson is still under pressure.
Abrams is back in his place,
but he won't give up.
Jackson needs to remind everyone
who is in charge.
[hooting loudly]
[dramatic music playing]
[hoots, shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[hooting]
[shrieking]
[Jackson yelling]
- [nearby shrieking]
- [hooting]
[high rhythmic hooting]
[distant shrieking]
[noises gradually fading out]
While Jackson is focused
on dominating at home,
other chimps are standing guard
at the western border
alert to the new threat they face.
[ominous music playing]
[music intensifies]
Abrams is here.
[music intensifies]
And so are several other adult males.
[music intensifies]
But they have no way of knowing
when the westerners will strike again.
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[birds calling, insects buzzing]
The life of an alpha male isn't easy.
But it comes with benefits.
Generally, the higher a chimp's rank,
the more opportunities they have to mate.
Mature females like Bartoli
normally give birth
every five or six years.
[branch cracks]
[ambient music playing]
[music becomes poignant]
Bartoli's son, Herzog,
is six years old now,
and she's ready to get pregnant again.
[quirky music playing]
She could do a lot worse
than Jackson's genes.
But she needs to be cautious.
Jackson is big,
powerful, and unpredictable.
She needs to keep herself and Herzog safe
and ensure that Jackson is calm.
Herzog finds the whole thing confusing.
But as a young chimp,
he has to stay close to his mother.
Whatever she's doing.
[Bartoli shrieking]
[Bartoli grunting rhythmically]
[music becomes suspenseful]
Jackson is making his move.
By waving a branch,
he's asking Bartoli to follow him
and mate.
And Bartoli seems keen.
[hoots softly]
[grunting rhythmically]
- Herzog makes an attempt to break it up.
- [Herzog shrieking]
But it's too late.
[hooting rhythmically]
Jackson got what he wanted.
And so did Bartoli.
But it's been a tiring day.
Female chimps mate with multiple males.
So there's no guarantee
Jackson will be
the father of Bartoli's baby.
He stands a good chance though.
Because it's happened before.
Although Jackson doesn't know it,
Herzog is his son.
[monkeys croaking rhythmically]
Chimps don't always hunt
because they are hungry.
[menacing music playing]
In fact, usually the opposite is true.
They hunt much more
when they are well-fed
and bursting with energy.
[music intensifies]
When Chrysophyllum is in full fruit,
hunting goes into overdrive.
[chimps screeching]
[music intensifies]
[music intensifies, abates]
Chimpanzees don't conserve resources
or think about the nature
of what they are eating.
[shrieking nearby]
With this many kills,
meat sharing is highly political.
[distant shrieking]
For Jackson, this big duiker
is an opportunity
to strengthen his position
by sharing with his allies.
[excited grunting]
[loud rhythmic hooting]
Today, he's favoring
another high-ranking male.
Peterson.
But just as important
is who he's excluding.
[tense music playing]
- [grunting loudly]
- [shrieks]
[jarring string music playing quietly]
[music darkens]
Wilson is an up-and-coming young male.
He's strong,
and he's ambitious.
[music intensifies]
Jackson is not including him.
And he's taking it badly.
[music intensifies]
[Wilson shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking fades out]
The males can be aggressive around meat,
and the females need to tread carefully.
[faint drumbeat playing]
Christine wants a share.
And she's willing to take the risk.
[drumbeat getting louder]
Wilson is watching carefully.
[drumbeat stops]
Christine got what she came for.
But she may not get to keep it.
[rhythmic shrieking]
[screeching]
[dramatic music playing]
Wilson is taking out his frustrations.
[music abates]
[music fades out]
Fortunately, the baby wasn't hurt.
But Christine needs to take
her family away to safety.
[creature trilling loudly]
[suckling]
[trilling fades out]
This is a quiet part of the forest,
away from most of the group.
But Christine is not alone.
[optimistic music playing]
Gus can't offer protection
from a chimp like Wilson.
But at least he can offer some comfort
to Christine and her family.
[baby grunting rhythmically]
[distant screeching]
[yawning]
Abrams' challenge to Jackson has stalled.
[solemn drumbeat and music playing]
Jackson is propped up
by some powerful allies.
[music intensifies]
[music darkens]
And Abrams is lacking support.
But now there's another
ambitious young chimp
with a grudge against Jackson.
[drumbeat accelerates]
This could be the beginning
of a powerful alliance.
[drumbeat stops]
[music abates]
[music reprises]
[chimps shrieking]
For now, Abrams and Wilson
are joining a group of males
to patrol westwards.
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
Jackson is not with them.
As powerful as he is in his own territory,
Jackson fears the west.
[tense music playing]
He grew up in the west
and was allies with the westerners
for many years.
But when the group split,
he deserted them
to reign as alpha
of the bigger central group.
As conflict erupted,
the western males targeted Jackson.
[music darkens]
He escaped with his life.
But he still bears the scars.
The westerners are a threat
to all the central males.
But they hold
a bitter grudge against Jackson.
And he fears them to this day.
[music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[creatures calling, chimps hooting]
The borderlands
are filled with Chrysophyllum.
The westerners are spending
more and more time here feeding.
After killing Pork Pie,
they've grown in confidence.
And there are chimps in the group
that won't stop there.
[gentle poignant music playing]
Rollins and Damien
will always want more territory.
[undergrowth rustles]
[hooting]
The western males are getting stronger.
[males hooting]
[grunting rhythmically]
They are constantly displaying.
[shrieking]
[hooting loudly]
[shrieking]
The westerners are getting ready
to make their move.
[music becomes dramatic]
[screeching]
[music abates]
[shrieking]
And Richmond is at the center of it.
[music intensifies]
[screeching]
[music, screeching subside]
He's not alpha anymore,
but he's still a chimp to be feared.
Bergl is back to full health.
[lively percussive music playing]
And that's not his only progress.
[music becomes optimistic]
He's regularly grooming with Garrison,
who seems to be a good influence.
And he's even started to bond
with the west's patrol leaders.
[solemn music playing]
[music becomes dramatic]
Wrestling is a good test of strength.
[grunting rhythmically]
And it gives Rollins and Damien
a chance to see what Bergl is made of.
[panting]
[groans]
[grunting, panting continue]
[activity peters out]
The westerners need
every chimp they've got.
If they're going to claim
this area for themselves,
they'll have to confront
the central chimps in their own territory
[solemn drumbeat playing]
and push them back.
For this, they need numbers.
So they'll travel in force,
males and females together.
[music intensifies]
[music continues]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
[insects thrumming]
Bartoli and Herzog
are near the borderlands,
getting some peace away from Jackson
and the other central males.
It's much needed.
But she has no idea what's coming.
[undergrowth rustles]
[somber music playing]
[music intensifies]
If they're caught,
Herzog could be killed.
[music intensifies]
[undergrowth rustles]
[branch rattles]
[music darkens]
- [twig cracks]
- [Bartoli grunts]
[shrieks]
[screeching nearby]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking intensifies]
[shrieking, whooping]
[frantic screeching]
[music intensifies]
[music ends]
[noises trail off]
[Bartoli screeching]
A western male
is chasing Bartoli into the canopy.
[shrieking]
[music darkens]
She and Herzog have been separated.
[soft shrieking]
But Herzog won't leave his mother.
[music intensifies]
He's going to try to protect her.
[Herzog shrieking]
[Herzog screeching]
He's got the attacker's attention.
[high-pitched hooting]
But now they're both trapped
in the canopy
at the mercy
of the western males.
[hooting]
[tense music playing]
[chimp whimpering]
[jarring violin music playing]
But the westerners aren't attacking.
They're moving on.
[Herzog suckling]
[somber music playing]
A lone family is not
what the westerners are looking for.
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
Bartoli and Herzog
slip away together.
[music fades out]
[solemn music playing]
The westerners are pushing deeper
into the central territory.
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
And some chimps
are beginning to hesitate.
- [grunting nearby]
- [ceremonial drumbeat playing]
For Carson, the risk is too great.
And she's going to put
E.O.'s safety first.
[drumbeat continues]
Many females and younger chimps
will drop out
with the threat of real battle.
And Joya
is choosing to follow Carson home.
[drumbeat intensifies]
A chimp like Bergl should fall back too.
He's too young and too small.
But Bergl is staying.
He's grown in confidence.
And for him, conflict is in the blood.
[drumbeat fades out]
Although neither of them know it
he is Rollins's son.
[solemn music playing]
[grunting aggressively]
The western males
are deep inside the central territory.
And they can sense
their enemies are close.
[sniffing]
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
[deep trilling in distance]
The central chimps
have been caught off guard before.
But not this time.
This time, they're ready.
[dramatic music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[whoops, screeches]
[dramatic music rapidly accelerating]
[music climaxes, fades out]
[subdued hooting]
When two big groups come face-to-face,
the outcome is always unpredictable.
[dramatic music playing]
[whooping]
[shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[music intensifies]
The westerners attack.
[screeching, whooping]
And the centrallers meet them head-on.
Bergl is right in the middle of it.
[screeching, whooping continue]
[music intensifies]
The westerners are pushing
the centrallers back.
[frantic shrieking]
- [shrieking stops]
- [music fades out]
[solemn music playing]
[hooting softly]
But some chimps
still haven't joined the battle.
[music intensifies]
[shrieking]
[solemn drumbeat reverberates]
If the centrallers
are going to fight back,
it will be now, behind their alpha.
[drumbeat accelerates]
Jackson is face-to-face
with his old rivals.
The same chimps
that tried to kill him years ago.
- [whooping]
- [shrieking]
[drumbeat intensifies]
[panting rapidly]
[drumbeat ends]
Jackson shows no fear.
[screeching]
[dramatic music playing]
And his group get behind him.
[grunting rhythmically]
[shrieking]
[music intensifies]
[shrieking continues]
[music intensifies]
[frantic shrieking]
[whooping]
[music abates]
The westerners have been pushed back.
And they're retreating.
[hooting softly]
[hooting loudly]
[shrieking]
[birds chirping]
[insects thrumming]
The central chimps
have held off their rivals.
[melancholy music playing]
But Jackson has been injured
in the battle.
[music intensifies]
He defended his territory.
But at what cost?
[pensive music playing]
[melancholic piano music playing]