Because of the knowledge they’ve acquired and the many unique experiences they’ve known, some people are a loss to the culture that can’t be replaced when they die. It just becomes a hole where something useful was. Pete Seeger was like that, someone who knew the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, HUAC, etc. He was steadfastly on hand for all the major American movements until he wasn’t anymore. 

Jane Goodall is that kind of person, too, though thankfully she’s still alive. What a sensational, uncommon life. The primatologist sat for an interview with Philip Bethge and Johann Grolle of Spiegel discussing her conservation efforts, the refugee crisis in Europe and the sometimes atrocious behavior of chimps (and humans). An excerpt about the latter topic:

Spiegel:

Chimps can have a very dark side as well. Did it come as a shock to you when you first became aware of it?

Jane Goodall:

Absolutely! It was horrifying. First, we observed this brutal attack on a female which ended in the killing of her baby. Chimps are brutal, and it is so deliberate. The males go out and get near the boundary of their territory. And they walk very silently trying hard not to make any noise. They will climb into a tree and stare out over hostile territory for hours. They are waiting for the right opportunity. And then they attack.

Spiegel:

Is this comparable to warfare?

Jane Goodall:

It can be. We observed what I call the four-year war. It all started when a big chimp community split into two because there were too many males. About seven males left with some females and babies. However, they didn’t go beyond the range which previously they shared but took up the southern part of it. When relations got completely cold between the two groups, the original group began systematically moving back into the territory they had lost.

Spiegel:

Killing the others?

Jane Goodall:

Yes, every single one. We observed six murders ourselves, and circumstantial evidence showed that the same thing happened to the seventh male. It was horrible.

Spiegel:

Are they intentionally cruel? Do they want to inflict pain?

Jane Goodall:

I thought about this a lot. But I came to the conclusion that being evil is something that only humans are capable of. A chimp would never plan to pull another’s nails out. The chimps’ way of aggression is quick and brutal. I compare them to gang attacks.

Spiegel:

Do you think the chimpanzees’ emotional world is comparable to ours?

Jane Goodall:

In many ways, yes.•