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Contrary to popular belief, chimpanzees and gorillas seem to live together
quite happily, even eating figs in the same tree. Japanese primate researchers
at the Ndoki Reserve in Zaire were surprised to find a band of nine chimps
and four gorillas happily coexisting in the rainforest, without showing
any sign of aggression towards each other.

‘It has always been assumed that chimpanzees and gorillas in the wild
were confrontational,’ says emeritus professor Junichiro Itani, of Kyoto
University. ‘There are some theoretical papers on competition between the
two species, but these did not depend on actual observation.’

Shigeru Suzuki, of Kyoto University’s Laboratory of Human Evolution
Studies, came across the group while he was studying apes in the reserve.
‘When we approached, at about 10 metres away the gorillas began threatening
us by drumming on their chests. Then the chimpanzees followed with warning
vocalisations,’ he said. ‘Local people told us they had often seen gorillas
and chimpanzees living together.