Photographed and written by Ronan Donovan

A personal narrative about my encounter with a group of chimpanzees that have tormented a family of rural farmers in western Uganda.

The unthinkable occurred on July 20, 2014. As Ntegeka worked in the garden, she kept the children with her. But in an instant when her back was turned, a large chimp grabbed her toddler son, Mujuni, and ran.

Ronan Donovan
"My God, they look like humans." I pulled up more photos. "I know all of them, aside from the babies. Look at that baby; it's light-skinned," she said, chuck-ling.

Ntegeka Semata
My heart raced as I photographed this behavior. I knew the chimps were only shadowboxing their reflections, but it did feel like an attack. Eventually, as the daylight faded, the chimps returned to their tiny forest and I was able to leave the house.

Ronan Donovan

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The unthinkable occurred on July 20, 2014. As Ntegeka worked in the garden, she kept the children with her. But in an instant when her back was turned, a large chimp grabbed her toddler son, Mujuni, and ran.