By Rebecca Drew
WATCH the dramatic moment a gang of chimpanzees ruthlessly dethroned their alpha male by viciously attacking him – leaving him bloody and cowering on the ground.
Breath-taking pictures and video show the rebellious group circle their leader, wrestling him to the ground before stabbing him with nearby branches. Other clips show the five mutinous chimps punching the alpha in the back as he tried to hide itself against a rock.
One photograph shows the moment the alpha chimpanzee turned to defend himself, with blood streaming down his face.
The incredible moment was captured at Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania by German wildlife photographer Konrad Wothe who first got involved in photography at the age of just eight.
“My main focus is to document animals in their natural habitat, exhibiting their particular character and typical behaviour,” said Konrad on his website.
“I love nature, travelling and the creativity required to work behind a camera.
“For over twenty years now I have been working as a freelance nature photographer and filmmaker all over the world.
“I have photographed animals, plants, landscapes and more at many of the most beautiful sites between the Arctic and the Antarctic.”
It is considered that chimps show aggression towards the alpha male of their troop because if successful in overruling them, they will be rewarded with mates, food and the opportunity to pass on their own genes. Chimps arrange themselves into warring gangs that raid each other’s territory, often leaving mutilated bodies behind.
Others suggest chimpanzees attack each other due because they are endangered by the human impact on their natural environment though deforestation or farming which forces them to live closer together.
