The Wagaisa chimpanzees

The Wagaisa community is the largest of the six chimpanzee groups monitored by BCCP in the Budongo-Bugoma Corridor. In 2025, there were 31 members in the community. At over 50 km2, their home range is also the biggest. Nevertheless, only a small portion of their range is forested. The dominant land use around Wagaisa is agriculture, including large commercial sugarcane plantations and exotic timber plantations of pine and eucalyptus trees. There’s even a big distilling factory in the middle of these chimpanzees’ territory. 

BCCP has monitored the Wagaisa chimpanzees since 2017. Most chimpanzee communities in the Budongo–Bugoma Corridor contain more females than males. Male chimpanzees tend to be bolder than females and therefore more likely to run into trouble with farmers, which might explain why fewer males survive as adults in this landscape. The Wagaisa chimps are, however, an exception to this pattern, as there are many more males than females. 

Currently, the community has 15 adult and adolescent males, but only 8 mature females. Adding to this problem, most of the Wagaisa females are old. The Wagaisa community desperately needs new females, but their territory is bordered by two major tarmacked roads, which may act as a barrier to migrating females. Since the start of monitoring, only one young female has joined Wagaisa from another group; conversely, 5 Wagaisa females have reached maturity and left.

Location map

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Bulindi

Meet the chimps of Wagaisa

Benni

Sixteen-year-old Benni is the Wagaisa community’s current alpha male. He rose to power in 2024 after toppling the former leader, Sam. He bears a strong facial resemblance to old female Andrea, making it likely she’s his mother. 

Edward

Edward is a huge chimpanzee—he’s almost double the size of some other Wagaisa males. In fact, he’s probably the largest male in all six communities monitored by BCCP. Despite his size, he seems good-natured and doesn’t throw his weight around.  

Mzee

Mzee is an old male, bald and with worn teeth. He’s probably in his late 40s or early 50s. He’s much older than any other male in Wagaisa—or any other community monitored by BCCP. In East Africa, ‘Mzee’ is a term of respect applied to older men. While Mzee the chimp is far too old for politics, he’s a respected elder in Wagaisa. In particular, younger males seem to appreciate his quiet company. 

Steven

Steven is part of a clique of six late-adolescent males at Wagaisa. He has an amiable and unthreatening character; we doubt he’ll become high-ranking in the coming years. Steven is meticulous about grooming his seniors, including old Mzee. 

Richard

Richard’s mother disappeared in 2021, when he was just three years old. It’s very rare for an infant to survive being orphaned at such a young age. Nevertheless, the older Wagaisa males took him under their wing, and he’s been ‘moving with the males’ ever since. In particular, Richard is often seen in the quiet company of elderly Mzee. Richard’s now a 6-year-old juvenile.

Andrea

Andrea is an old female, probably in her mid to late 40s. She has a prominent tumour-like growth on her chest, though this doesn’t seem to trouble her. Andrea doesn’t have any dependent offspring; however, she’s the presumed mother of alpha male Benni. 

Prisca

Prisca migrated into the Wagaisa community in 2022; we don’t know where she came from. She’s the only young adult female in the community and is the most ‘common’ of the Wagaisa females, at least to us. It’s not unusual to find Prisca together with all 15 males of the community… and no other female in sight! Prisca gave birth to her first infant in late 2023.