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Who are we?

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How did we become the way we are?

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As humans, we spend our lives

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trying to understand ourselves.

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But sometimes it feels
we're too close to see clearly.

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That's why we love stories
from other worlds.

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And the world of chimpanzees,

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so similar to ours in some ways…

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…but so different in others…

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tells us stories
more revealing than you can imagine.

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Stories all the more powerful

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because they are real.

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The Forest of Ngogo
is a vast, interconnected world.

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And at its heart,

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there is a thriving society.

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The Ngogo chimpanzees.

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For this new mother and her baby,

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it's home.

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Chimpanzees are our closest
living relatives.

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We share more than 98% of our DNA.

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They are highly intelligent.

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And highly emotional.

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They can live to over 60 years old,

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and the stages of their lives
are similar to ours.

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Every chimp at Ngogo is an individual…

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with their own unique personality

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and goals.

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To reflect this,

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scientists have given
each and every one of them a name.

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Ngogo society is sophisticated.

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It's a complex network
of family and social bonds…

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where each chimp
has to forge relationships

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and find their place in the group.

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Most chimp groups
number 50 or 60 individuals.

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But here at Ngogo,

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there are twice that number.

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Over 120 chimps living together.

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The biggest group ever discovered.

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Ngogo is a chimpanzee paradise.

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There's a huge amount of fruit trees here.

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And fruit is the lifeblood
of chimpanzee society.

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With so many chimps
all trying to make their way,

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there's a lot of competition.

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Life here involves politics and power.

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Ngogo society is a hierarchy.

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And the chimps are
always looking for opportunities

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to move up.

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At the top of the hierarchy
sits the most powerful chimp at Ngogo.

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Jackson.

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The alpha male.

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Jackson has been in charge
for six years now.

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But he's getting old for an alpha.

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If he's going to stay on top,

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he can't show any weakness.

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He needs to display strength.

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This is what Jackson wants.

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The group is calling

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and coming to him in a show of respect.

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But Jackson is well aware

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that some chimps
are showing less respect than others.

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A chimp this age should be too young
to pose a real challenge to Jackson.

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But not all chimps are as smart

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or as confident as Abrams.

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But Jackson has protection.

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Miles.

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A giant chimp.

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{\an8}The biggest ever known at Ngogo.

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{\an8}

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Jackson and Miles share a tight bond…

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and groom each other regularly.

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It's a formidable alliance.

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{\an8}Grooming is an important part of life
for all chimpanzees.

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{\an8}It's how they create
and maintain social relationships.

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It's the chimp equivalent of conversation.

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It's highly political.

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Planning.

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Persuading.

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Plotting.

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Grooming forms alliances.

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And alliances create power.

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Even the strongest chimps

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{\an8}struggle to dominate alone.

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Who your grooming partners are

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says a lot
about your status and ambitions.

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But if you aren't grooming with anyone,

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status and ambition
are the least of your worries.

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{\an8}

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{\an8}Fourteen is not an easy age
for a male chimp.

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You've grown apart from your mother…

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…and you need to start bonding
with other males.

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That comes more easily to some

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than others.

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Gus is an outsider.

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But he can't stay that way.

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He needs to find some friends.

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In the Forest of Ngogo,

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it's not wise
to spend too much time alone.

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Christine's baby is about six months old.

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For this age, she's much stronger
and more developed than a human baby.

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But she's still very vulnerable.

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At Ngogo, not all babies
make it to their first birthday.

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And for that reason,

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she won't be given her name until then.

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Christine has to focus on the baby,

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and that has left
her older daughter, Nadine,

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out in the cold.

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She used to get
her mother's full attention.

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Now she's neglected.

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Even for a chimp,
the baby is developing quickly.

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And she's starting
to become more independent.

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She wants to socialize.

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When it comes to babies,
most chimps are pretty tolerant.

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Still, it's safer to start with someone
closer to your own size.

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The problem is
that young chimps are far less forgiving.

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The more independent the baby becomes,

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the more she can get into trouble.

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Big males are a threat.

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If she gets in their way,
she could be badly hurt.

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And with an alpha like Jackson,

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who can choose to display
anywhere, anytime…

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Christine can never completely relax.

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It's all a bit overwhelming.

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Her mother has seen all this before.

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She isn't concerned.

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{\an8}

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{\an8}But her big sister is.

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{\an8}

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The first signs of a bond between sisters.

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Ngogo is a rainforest.

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Storms are part of life here.

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And the chimps generally take cover.

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Though not all of them.

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{\an8}Some chimps draw strength from the storm.

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And use it to perform
an unusual dominance display.

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The rain dance.

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Abrams is sending a powerful message.

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For now, Jackson does nothing.

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Sooner or later, he'll have to act.

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Because with every day,

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Abrams is getting more confident.

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{\an8}

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{\an8}

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Gus is still alone.

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But he's got a plan.

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Gus is awkward,

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but he isn't stupid.

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{\an8}Jackson isn't the only one

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{\an8}to notice that Abrams is on his way up.

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This could be an opportunity
to form a very useful relationship.

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Gus is really trying.

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An up-and-comer like Abrams
is happy to be groomed by most chimps.

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The real test for Gus

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will be if Abrams grooms him back.

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Rejection.

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Abrams is seeking out
a much more important grooming partner.

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If Abrams can build his own alliance
with Jackson's most important ally,

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it will weaken
Jackson's position as alpha.

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And Miles seems receptive.

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{\an8}Jackson can feel Abrams closing in.

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{\an8}

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He needs the group
to unite under his leadership.

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Unite against a common enemy.

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Chimps are territorial creatures.

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The Ngogo group lives
within a defined territory,

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surrounded on all sides
by other hostile chimps.

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To make sure their resources are safe,

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they patrol their borders.

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Patrolling is a dangerous business.

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But the importance
of defending the territory is so great

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that even the most unlikely candidates
sometimes take part.

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Each chimp needs to weigh it up.

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"Is it worth the risk?"

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Pork Pie is far from the toughest
or bravest of chimps.

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But even for him,
it's probably worth the danger.

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The chimps are heading
to their northern border.

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Patrols can cover many miles

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and last for several tense hours.

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Even the biggest, most aggressive males

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begin to get nervous
as they approach the borderlands.

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As for Pork Pie,

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he's at the back

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and seems reluctant to go on.

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Abrams, on the other hand,

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is exactly where he wants to be.

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Right in the thick of it.

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As the group reaches the northern border

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and passes into unfamiliar territory,

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things get more dangerous.

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There are no friendly relations
between chimp groups.

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When one group meets another,

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there are two choices.

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Run or attack.

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The chimps are listening for calls

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and movement.

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{\an8}

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Pork Pie has had enough.

197
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He's leaving the patrol.

198
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Alone.

199
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But Gus is going to stay.

200
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There are other chimps close by.

201
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And they will be hostile.

202
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They need to judge
who has the greater numbers…

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and decide whether to retreat

204
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or to attack.

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{\an8}

206
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{\an8}

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Jackson has Miles behind him.

208
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There's no going back.

209
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They've decided to charge.

210
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Their aggression has paid off.

211
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The northern group has retreated.

212
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This is a success for the patrol.

213
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The border is secure,

214
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and they can return
to the center of their territory,

215
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victorious.

216
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With most of the big males
away to the north,

217
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Christine can finally relax.

218
00:40:03,484 --> 00:40:05,277
The baby is getting stronger.

219
00:40:06,487 --> 00:40:10,783
And it's time for her to explore
another important part of life at Ngogo.

220
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The canopy.

221
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{\an8}Not impressed.

222
00:41:19,393 --> 00:41:22,146
Christine can't let her climb too high,

223
00:41:22,229 --> 00:41:24,356
to where a fall could be dangerous.

224
00:42:26,544 --> 00:42:27,378
That's enough

225
00:42:28,295 --> 00:42:29,129
for one day.

226
00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:05,708
The patrol is returning
from the borderlands.

227
00:43:13,591 --> 00:43:15,843
And they've noticed something
in the treetops.

228
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The Ngogo group doesn't tolerate
other chimps in their territory.

229
00:43:31,275 --> 00:43:34,069
But they do share the forest
with other primates.

230
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Including several large groups of monkeys.

231
00:43:56,967 --> 00:43:59,887
Monkeys aren't rivals to chimps.

232
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They're food.

233
00:44:54,358 --> 00:44:57,903
Meat is a welcome source
of nourishment for chimps.

234
00:44:59,196 --> 00:45:00,989
But that's not its only value.

235
00:45:04,576 --> 00:45:07,204
The sharing of meat is important socially

236
00:45:08,372 --> 00:45:09,498
and politically.

237
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Jackson shares with his allies.

238
00:45:16,380 --> 00:45:19,591
And more than anyone else,
he shares with Miles.

239
00:45:21,885 --> 00:45:23,178
At the same time,

240
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he purposely leaves others out.

241
00:45:40,195 --> 00:45:43,574
Abrams' exclusion is a sign that, for now,

242
00:45:44,283 --> 00:45:47,786
Jackson still holds power at Ngogo.

243
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A victorious patrol

244
00:45:55,961 --> 00:45:57,504
and a successful hunt.

245
00:46:01,300 --> 00:46:03,510
Today's been a good day for Jackson

246
00:46:04,303 --> 00:46:06,180
and for the Ngogo chimpanzees.

247
00:46:29,912 --> 00:46:33,207
Monkeys are an important resource
for the Ngogo chimps.

248
00:46:37,878 --> 00:46:42,591
But the most important resource
will always be fruit trees,

249
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the foundation of Ngogo society.

250
00:47:10,869 --> 00:47:14,540
A fig tree has come into fruit
in the center of the territory,

251
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and the chimps can relax
and enjoy a feast.

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00:48:01,920 --> 00:48:05,257
Gus has spent a lot of his life
watching from the sidelines.

253
00:48:06,967 --> 00:48:08,677
He's more observant than most.

254
00:48:09,970 --> 00:48:12,097
And quick to spot anything unusual.

255
00:50:00,288 --> 00:50:01,289
It's Pork Pie.

256
00:50:40,412 --> 00:50:41,663
He was caught alone…

257
00:50:44,207 --> 00:50:45,917
and killed by a rival group…

258
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right in the middle of Ngogo territory.

259
00:50:58,764 --> 00:51:01,183
If a chimp can be killed here…

260
00:51:04,770 --> 00:51:06,521
…it means this forest kingdom…

261
00:51:10,650 --> 00:51:12,152
…and all the chimps in it…

262
00:51:16,198 --> 00:51:17,491
are no longer safe.