Gracie the Giraffe, who set the internet ablaze when she disappeared for almost two weeks in the Texas desert, was found Friday morning during an aerial helicopter search.
Vick Jones, who is the manager of the ranch from which Gracie escaped, participated in a helicopter scouting mission with Jeff Hill of Concho Aviation around 6:45 AM on Friday. While they were aloft, Hill spotted Gracie roughly four miles south of Cedar Hollow Ranch, according to a report from the Real County Sheriff&#8217;s Office.
&#8220;She&#8217;s standing. She&#8217;s very calm. She looked good,&#8221; Jones <a href="https://www.chron.com/wildlife/article/gracie-giraffe-found-texas-22322094.php">said</a>. &#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of water there, a lot of food, stuff like that. She&#8217;s looking good, doing good.&#8221;
Others who had taken part in the extensive search for Gracie expressed similar elation upon finding the elusive giraffe.
&#8220;We found her. She&#8217;s fat and happy,&#8221; <a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/gracie-the-giraffe-found-fat-and-happy-real-county-sheriff-johnson-says">said</a> Real County Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson, joking about her “catch-me-if-you-can, sucker&#8221; attitude. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to have to bring in a team and sedate her.”
As the Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pet-giraffe-goes-missing-in-texas?row=0&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">reported</a>, Gracie, a 4-year-old reticulated giraffe with rounded ears, escaped Cedar Hollow Ranch in Real County, Texas. Cedar Hollow Ranch is a private exotic animal breeding facility that is home to hundreds of animals, including Nubian ibexes, antelope, impalas, and other animals native to Africa and the Middle East.
The giraffe reportedly vanished after feeding on an isolated hillside, finding an unfenced area opposite an 8-foot-tall gate. Jones <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/us/gracie-giraffe-texas-missing.html">said</a> the giraffe would walk around the ranch “like none of the others did,” adding that Gracie would often go to secluded areas and “eat on the tree limbs.”
Reticulated giraffes around Gracie’s age are about 14-16 feet tall and can run up to 35 mph in short bursts, according to the <a href="https://www.denverzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Reticulated-giraffe.pdf">Denver Zoo</a>. The species of giraffe is <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/88420717/88420720">listed</a> as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List.
The disappearance of the giraffe made waves on the internet, with many users creating fake AI-generated videos and images depicting Gracie &#8220;sightings,&#8221; My San Antonio News <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/gracie-giraffe-not-found-texas-22318572.php">reported</a>.

Giraffes in the savannah, Kenya

The Internet’s Favorite Giraffe Has Been Found

Animals

Texas

A giraffe is on the loose in Texas after escaping from a breeding facility a week and a half ago.
Gracie, a 4-year-old reticulated giraffe with rounded ears, fled Cedar Hollow Ranch in Real County, Texas, the facility&#8217;s manager Vick Jones <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-giraffe-texas-gracie-rcna351474">told</a> NBC News. Cedar Hollow Ranch is a private exotic animal breeding facility that is home to hundreds of animals, including Nubian ibexes, antelope, impalas, and other animals native to Africa and the Middle East.
The giraffe reportedly vanished after feeding on an isolated hillside and finding an unfenced area opposite an 8-foot-tall gate. Jones <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/23/us/gracie-giraffe-texas-missing.html">said</a> the giraffe would walk around the ranch &#8220;like none of the others did,&#8221; adding that Gracie would go to secluded areas and “eat on the tree limbs.&#8221;
The last official sighting of the giraffe was taken on a hunting camera west of Leakey, Texas, which sits about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio.
Jones stated that the animal is likely in the “rough terrain” that surrounds the southern Texas area, and that she most likely is still safe and healthy.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of food out there for her to eat. There&#8217;s plenty of water,&#8221; Jones said.  
Reticulated giraffes around Gracie’s age are about 14-16 feet tall and can run up to 35 mph in short bursts, according to the <a href="https://www.denverzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Reticulated-giraffe.pdf">Denver Zoo</a>. The species of giraffe is <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/88420717/88420720">listed</a> as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List.
The disappearance of the giraffe made waves on the internet, with many users creating fake AI-generated videos of sightings of Gracie, My San Antonio News <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/gracie-giraffe-not-found-texas-22318572.php">reported</a>. 
In one AI-generated photo, a giraffe is seen surrounded by police while trying to cross a Texas highway at dusk.
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&#8220;No, she has not been found. That&#8217;s just people having fun with the internet, getting their little one minute of fame,&#8221; Jones said as of Wednesday morning. Jones added that the giraffe is still missing, with no new clues on her location.
Gracie’s owner is offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the giraffe’s capture and safe return, Real County officials <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122120771115249453&amp;set=a.122103704295249453">said</a>. People who see the giraffe are asked to report it to the sheriff’s office at 830-232-5201.

GERMANY-ANIMAL-ZOO-GIRAFFE

Pet Giraffe Goes Missing In Texas

exotic

A zoo in eastern China is facing ridicule online after visitors discovered that one of its &#8220;zebras&#8221; was actually a donkey painted with black stripes.
Footage from Qingyun Mountain Folk Custom Amusement Park in Anqiu, located in China&#8217;s Shandong Province, shows the animal sporting crudely painted stripes intended to resemble a zebra. The disguise quickly fell apart, however, as visitors pointed to the animal&#8217;s long ears, distinctive coloring, and the presence of other donkeys in the same enclosure.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/19/world-news/zoo-paints-donkey-with-stripes-to-look-like-zebra-and-visitors-arent-wild-about-it/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">Images and videos</a> of the striped donkey spread rapidly across Chinese social media, where users mocked the zoo&#8217;s attempt to transform the animal into something more exotic.
Zoo staff later defended the stunt, insisting they never actually claimed the animal was a zebra. &#8220;We&#8217;re doing cosplay. We never said it was a zebra,&#8221; one staff member reportedly wrote online. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t even put up a sign saying it was a zebra! It&#8217;s just a joke, an abstract kind of thing meant to entertain visitors.&#8221;
According to local reports, park employees said they have carried out similar animal &#8220;makeovers&#8221; in the past as a way to amuse guests. The incident is the latest in a string of viral controversies involving Chinese zoos disguising animals as different species.
In 2025, <a href="https://people.com/zoo-in-china-accused-of-painting-donkeys-black-and-white-to-look-like-zebras-11680561">another zoo</a> in Shandong Province admitted to painting donkeys with zebra stripes after social media users exposed the deception. At the time, zoo officials defended the move as a harmless marketing gimmick and said the paint used on the animals was non-toxic.
Chinese zoos have also gained international attention in recent years for dyeing dogs to resemble other animals. In 2024, several zoos <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/01/world/asia/china-zoo-painted-dogs-pandas.html">painted Chow Chow</a> dogs black and white to resemble giant pandas. The animals became a major attraction after videos circulated online showing visitors posing beside the so-called &#8220;panda dogs.&#8221; Zoo officials defended the practice, arguing that the dyed dogs were clearly identified and that the process was no different than people coloring their hair.
A year later, another Chinese zoo drew criticism after painting Chow Chows orange and black in an attempt to make them <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/30/lifestyle/zoogoers-appalled-as-dogs-painted-to-look-like-tigers-in-ridiculous-gimmick/">resemble tigers</a>. The zoo later acknowledged that the animals were dogs and described the display as a promotional stunt.
The practice is not limited to China. In 2018, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44968509">a zoo in Egypt</a> faced international scrutiny after visitors alleged that donkeys had been painted to look like zebras. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/04/gaza-zoology">in Gaza</a>, where zoo operators painted donkeys with stripes after struggling to acquire exotic animals due to import restrictions.
Animal welfare groups have criticized the practice, arguing that painting animals for entertainment can cause unnecessary stress and potential health risks.
<a href="https://www.peta.org/news/zoo-paints-donkeys-as-zebras-no-respect-for-animals/">PETA</a> previously warned that &#8220;no reputable animal-care facility would subject skittish animals like donkeys to the stress of being restrained and sprayed with chemicals like paint.&#8221;
Despite the criticism, the latest striped donkey has already become an online sensation, with many social media users focusing less on animal welfare concerns and more on the quality of the disguise itself.
&#8220;The zebra costume isn&#8217;t even convincing,&#8221; one commenter wrote online, while another joked that the donkey appeared to be wearing &#8220;half-finished pajamas.&#8221;

HONDURAS-ENVIRONMENT-ANIMALS-ZOO-CRISIS

Zoo Can’t Get A Zebra, Tries Cosplay Instead

China

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.
Brötchen the baby Pygmy hippo 
If you’re even vaguely familiar with the Bright Side, you know that there’s a chance this may someday turn into an animals-only column. (Anyone remember the iconic Cute Overload blog? It was God’s gift to lovers of chonky smush-faced floofmuffins.) Adding another marshmallow to the list, meet Brötchen, a baby Pygmy hippo named after Germany’s favorite snack. [Squee!]
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Meet Brötchen. That&#8217;s the name Berlin Zoo has chosen for its rare newborn pygmy hippo, and it means &#8220;bread roll&#8221; in German<a href="https://t.co/ljXPVCb5SP">pic.twitter.com/ljXPVCb5SP</a>
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) <a href="https://x.com/AMAZlNGNATURE/status/2065602210759913849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Born in May at <a href="https://www.zoo-berlin.de/de/aktuelles/news/artikel/broetchen-ein-name-zum-anbeissen?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=2023407738&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADRvEZ3g4M6tHcPQtzuS3Ryaxbdmd&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwrs7RBhDuARIsAIVfBD1E2YtWSwQ4w1C7Ye1HDOLkKhIm7CnX79nioyRL4udXddSm_IITAT4aAunREALw_wcB">Zoo Berlin</a>, she’s about 45 pounds of love topped with perky little ears and blinky eyes. “Brötchen” comes from the German term for “<a href="https://x.com/RealChadFather/status/2065605949436399622">bread roll,</a>” and that’s exactly how delicious she is. She’ll grow up to be 600 pounds, which is still smaller than the average river hippo, which can weigh 3,000 pounds. Endangered Pygmies are sweet and shy, preferring to stick by a mate and their babies in the wild. Be still my heart. They’re perfect in every way. 
If you feel the urge to squeeze Brötchen and every other cuddly creature, this is actually a response to extremely positive emotions. “One study … showed relatively more activity in the reward and emotions areas of the brain when viewing something cute,” social psychologist <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/02/cute-aggression-why-you-might-want-to-squash-every-adorable-thing-you-see">Lisa A. Williams</a> says. “We like to view cute stimuli, even if we sometimes find it overwhelming.” Maybe this is why I have repeatedly told my French Bulldog that someday I’ll fry up his sqwoonchie ears as dip chips, while I skwoonch his little face.
A time capsule for America&#8217;s 500th birthday
It’s not going into the ground until July 4 in Philadelphia, but the <a href="https://america250.org/time-capsule/contents/?utm_campaign=a250_26_email&amp;utm_source=mailchimp&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=timecapsule">America 250 Time Capsule</a> is officially sealed. All 50 states, several U.S. territories, three branches of government, many national sports leagues, and a few iconic brands (think we’ll be able to unlock an iPhone 17 Pro Max in the year 2276?) added keepsakes to the 900-pound steel capsule collection that will be opened by aliens in the future. (Just kidding, but who knows?) 
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Some of the items couldn’t be more “America let’s go!” Acting cooler than it sounds, the Library of Congress came to play with a <a href="https://manage.america250.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/America250-time-capsule-item-LOC-DNA-capsule.jpg">synthetic DNA device</a> storing digital copies of Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, and an audio recording of the National Anthem from 1898. Coca-Cola contributed a contour Coke bottle holding sheet music to “I’d Like To Buy America A Coke.” 
Not to name names, but a few entries seemed like, “We forgot this was for today. Here’s a flag.” (Alaska!) What would you send 250 years into the future? I feel like we might need a second capsule for McDonald’s rebooted <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-fried-apple-pie-america-250-962c7e82d7d5089bf63b2e7258f1c864">Fried Apple Pie</a> for America’s birthday. You know that thing will still be in pristine condition.  
Why is everyone doing the “Asian squat” right now?
Either you’re looking at this going, no way in hell-o-operator am I even trying this maneuver, or you’re thinking easy, I do this all the time. If you’re the second person, chances are you grew up squatting like it’s hot, just to relax. (My hip flexors are clenching just thinking about it.)
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BBC journalists try to do the &#8216;Asian squat&#8217;, a resting position frequently used by people in places like China, Japan, and much of Asia.
🎧 Click for more on cultural traditions around the world <a href="https://t.co/xhk2tqvQ2X">https://t.co/xhk2tqvQ2X</a> <a href="https://t.co/SmxXX6yGyV">pic.twitter.com/SmxXX6yGyV</a>
— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice) <a href="https://x.com/bbcworldservice/status/2066982284092449136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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I love random feats of strength from the internet. Tell me to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@1stphorm/video/7501455136468798750?lang=en">jump to standing from kneeling</a> to prove that my “bio age” is younger than it is, and I’ll do it. (Just check out the grip strength on <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/04/us-news/90-year-old-grandma-breaks-world-record-for-dead-hang/">Ann Crile Esselstyn</a>, who broke the Guinness World Record by hanging from a pull-up bar for nearly three minutes at 90 years old!) The deep squat, or “Asian squat,” is still popular in Asia. It derives from a time before Western toilets, where we all had to rest our thighs on our calves to use a chamber pot, while steadying ourselves with flat feet. Almost every toddler still does this naturally. And as we age, mobility like this can literally save our lives by allowing us to easily get up from the floor. 
Founder of Upright Health, Matt Hsu, offers <a href="https://youtu.be/a6Na67zUMZk?t=6">three exercises</a> to develop your deep squat muscles. If you were wondering if the talent is genetic, he confirms, “To do the Asian squat, you don’t need to wear glasses and you don’t need to be good at math.” 
World Cup fever is a hot mess and America’s (finally!) here for it
According to search bots, Americans just figured out we’re currently hosting an international soccer tournament. This country’s so massive we didn’t know we invited <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/world-cup/world-cup-2026-super-bowl-viewership-tickets-attendance/6501165/">five billion fans</a> to a party that’s 40 times bigger than the Super Bowl. And that we actually have a U.S. team playing in it! (Face palm.) Guys. I hope we got enough snacks.
Other than the history-making happenings on the field (Argentina’s beloved Lionel Messi is now the oldest — and youngest — player from his country to score a goal in the competition, earning his first World Cup <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-messis-historic-hat-trick-steals-the-show-during-action-packed-day-at-the-world-cup">hat trick</a> against Algeria, and already tying the record for most goals scored), the unapologetic ecstasy of global fandom is bringing the sport to life.
Cementing himself as a national treasure, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europeans-came-to-see-the-world-cup-and-find-america-at-buc-ees">Freddy</a> the German tourist loved Buc-ee’s so much it got him a NASA tour and a concert invite from Ella Langley. We discovered that <a href="https://x.com/cbsnews/status/2066985724973666525?s=43">Japanese</a> fans bag their own empty nachos trays and used drink cups post-game, and U.K. tourists taught <a href="https://x.com/sanctafamiliatv/status/2067030182838321617?s=46&amp;t=5nB3R1hthzMlYMrXjZyN8Q">American nuns</a> how to chant like fútbol fanatics. We developed a new appreciation for <a href="https://youtu.be/W70JNDCcOdw?t=24">Costco</a>, Florida’s beaches, and baby back ribs. It was the injection of American spirit we needed. 
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The Scots are assimilating well to American culture. <a href="https://t.co/ewRjO0XAgN">pic.twitter.com/ewRjO0XAgN</a>
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) <a href="https://x.com/TRHLofficial/status/2066170244905750620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Just try to listen to a bunch of Scottish fans belt a flawless rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” without feeling a sense of pride for the place you belong.
***
Happy Father’s Day to all the awesome dads out there! (Hope you get <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fathers-day-gift-dads-secretly-want-most">exactly what you want</a>!) If you’d like to openly confess your soccer-curious status, please consider the safe space of our comments section. You can <a href="mailto:lbair@dailywire.com">email</a> me too. As always, it’s been so much fun hanging out with you! — Lauren

Bright Side: The Global Craze Americans Are Finally Joining

America250

bright side

Upstream

World Cup

The Vietnamese police have saved over 400 cats from being trafficked and slaughtered in Southeast Asia’s underground cat meat trade. This comprises one of the biggest feline rescue operations in Vietnam’s history.
Along with the 400 living felines, the Ho Chi Minh City police found 80 cat carcasses frozen in coolers. Nine people have been arrested for alleged involvement in a &#8220;criminal group specialising in stealing and collecting cats,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20yzm58vk3o">said</a> BBC News, citing the official newspaper of the city’s police department.
The cats were reported to be emaciated, traumatized, and stuffed into cages. An unknown number of the animals died after being rescued because of the poor conditions they were in. A few of the cats were pregnant and have since given birth in police custody.
“The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat across the country, and the fate of most is to end up at a slaughterhouse or restaurant to be killed and eaten,” <a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/en/news/hundreds-cats-seized-ho-chi-minh-city-police-largest-cat-meat-bust-vietnam">said</a> Phuong Tham, the Humane World for Animals Viet Nam country director. “Thankfully these survivors escaped that fate but this large seizure and the swift actions of the police are a welcome step in the crackdown that is badly needed on this trade.&#8221;
The cat meat trade is not illegal in Vietnam, but distributors are required to gain permits proving a cat’s origins. However, many black market sellers see this permit process as a nuisance and resort to stealing cats on the streets from owners, and trafficking them across borders to Laos, Cambodia, and China.
Additionally, one kilogram of cat meat sells for about $2.70, which according to statistics from the agrifood market data website Selina Wamucii, is costlier than a kilogram of <a href="https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/vietnam/chicken-meat/">chicken</a> ($1.80) but much cheaper than a kilo of <a href="https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/vietnam/beef/">beef</a> ($8.11). This gives black market sellers an opportunity to provide a relatively cheap and accessible meat to consumers with a moderate profit margin.
The animal rights organization Humane World <a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/en/campaign/ending-viet-nams-dog-cat-meat-trades">estimates</a> that over one million cats are “stolen, trafficked and brutally slaughtered for their meat” every year in Vietnam. 
The arrest has coincided with a rising support among younger generations and pet owners to end the cat meat trade entirely, with Humane World reporting 71% approval for the banning of cat meat consumption and trade. 
The Vietnamese government is planning on instituting more legal protections for cats and cat owners.
Cats are eaten most commonly in Vietnam during the Lunar Month for good luck, as animal rights organization Four Paws USA <a href="https://www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/campaigns/end-the-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/the-truth/where-the-cruelty-happens">reports</a>.

Humane World Foundation

Police Save 400 Cats From Gruesome Fate

animal rights

pets

trade

Vietnam

The albino buffalo nicknamed &#8220;Donald Trump,&#8221; who was supposed to be slaughtered this week as part of the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha, was spared Wednesday after internet backlash drew security concerns.
Just a few hours before the scheduled sacrifice, Bangladesh Home Minister ​Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the animal to be pardoned and was then relocated to the national zoo in Dhaka, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/viral-fame-spares-donald-trump-buffalo-eid-sacrifice-bangladesh-2026-05-27/">Reuters</a>. A ministry official said the decision came “at the last moment &#8230; due to security concerns and the unusual level of public interest.”
Ziauddin Mridha, the farm owner ​who purchased the buffalo 10 months ago, sold the animal to a person who was preparing for the festival. The government ordered Mridha to refund the buyer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Viral albino buffalo “Donald Trump” moved to Bangladesh National Zoo for public display in Dhaka. <a href="https://t.co/1rC4rqYVw6">pic.twitter.com/1rC4rqYVw6</a>
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) <a href="https://x.com/AdityaRajKaul/status/2059978033361305754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The rare animal became a local celebrity in the city of Narayanganj and a viral sensation because of its uncanny resemblance to Trump, namely its blond combover, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-trump-looking-buffalo-is-taking-over-the-internet?row=0&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">reported</a>. Crowds flocked to the farm to catch a glimpse of the buffalo, with videos and photos flooding social media, eventually making international headlines.
Mridha admitted he didn’t notice the resemblance at first. “My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head,” he told <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/rare-buffalo-steals-spotlight-in-bangladesh-for-looking-exactly-like-donald-trump-11510390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NDTV</a>. “It is very calm in nature. Albino buffaloes are generally peaceful and do not become aggressive unless provoked.&#8221;
Fans around the world took to social media to share the good news.
&#8220;Even a buffalo named Donald Trump survives assassination attempts &#8230;&#8221; one user <a href="https://x.com/_NafayFarooq/status/2059978876428960094">posted</a> on X.
&#8220;Life is really funny sometimes. At this point, the buffalo needs security and its own social media page,&#8221; another <a href="https://x.com/Kingkosec/status/2059969268251234521">said</a>.
&#8220;Viral fame hits different when it literally spares your life,&#8221; another X user <a href="https://x.com/BinBillionaire/status/2059932693102575894">quipped</a>.
From feeding troughs to worldwide recognition, it sure pays to look like Trump.

BANGLADESH-US-POLITICS-BUFFALO

Government Intervenes To Spare Sacrificial ‘Donald Trump’ Buffalo

Donald Trump

World

Donald Trump has once again taken over the internet. 
No, not the president of the United States. The albino buffalo from Bangladesh.
Nicknamed after the commander-in-chief, this rare animal has become a local celebrity in the city of Narayanganj and a viral sensation online because of its uncanny resemblance to Trump, particularly its blond combover.
Crowds have flocked to the farm to catch a glimpse of the unique buffalo, with videos and photos flooding social media.
Ziauddin Mridha, the farm owner who purchased the animal from a cattle market ten months ago, said he didn&#8217;t notice the resemblance at first. 
&#8220;My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head,&#8221; Mridha told <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/rare-buffalo-steals-spotlight-in-bangladesh-for-looking-exactly-like-donald-trump-11510390">NDTV</a>.
&#8220;It is very calm in nature. Albino buffaloes are generally peaceful and do not become aggressive unless provoked,&#8221; Mridha added.
Depending on who you ask, the same could probably be said for the real Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🇧🇩 ☪️ 🐃 Bangladesh&#8217;s &#8216;Donald Trump&#8217; buffalo attracts fans
Crowds in Bangladesh are flocking to snap photos with an unlikely social media star &#8212; a rare albino buffalo with flowing blond locks nicknamed &#8220;Donald Trump&#8221; which is due to be sacrificed within days as part of an… <a href="https://t.co/AxSmyzW5p2">pic.twitter.com/AxSmyzW5p2</a>
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/2057464612933582906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Mridha <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYlYtaLFUJs/?hl=en">said</a> crowds have visited throughout May, many watching as handlers poured water over the buffalo&#8217;s hair before combing it behind its horns into the perfect Trump-do.
One resident named Mim was skeptical of the comparisons she&#8217;d seen online and felt they were exaggerated until seeing the animal in person.
&#8220;It actually looks like Trump. The name suits it well,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/rare-buffalo-steals-spotlight-in-bangladesh-for-looking-exactly-like-donald-trump-11510390">said.</a>
Another visitor agreed, saying the buffalo&#8217;s &#8220;facial structure&#8221; and hair strongly resembled the president.
<div id="attachment_1100879" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1100879" class="wp-image-1100879 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276758738-865x576.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276758738-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276758738-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276758738-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/GettyImages-2276758738.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Salahuddin AHMED / AFP via Getty Images</div>
Unfortunately, to the internet&#8217;s dismay, the beloved buffalo, along with 12,000 other livestock, is expected to be slaughtered within the coming days for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival called the &#8220;Feast of the Sacrifice.&#8221;
Maybe if notified, the real Trump could step in to save the day.

ChatGPT Image May 22, 2026, 04_13_08 PM

This Trump-Looking Buffalo Is Taking Over The Internet

Social Media

A U.S. Army veteran who rescued his 11-year-old dog from ISIS is now fighting to save her again after local authorities in Virginia “kidnapped” the animal.
Brendan Jones, a military veteran with 18 years of counterterrorism experience, rescued his dog Lucy from the grips of ISIS while deployed in the Middle East. Now, he&#8217;s building a &#8220;<a href="https://hannity.com/media-room/save-lucy-army-vets-beloved-pup-who-survived-isis-now-locked-in-virginia-kennel/">pressure campaign</a>&#8221; to save Lucy from an animal shelter. 
Around a month ago, Lucy was taken from the family&#8217;s rural property near Strasburg, Virginia, after a neighbor claimed that the dog threatened her and accused Jones of failing to comply with Virginia’s dangerous dog registry requirements.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You know who you are. On April 17, you saw me in my yard with my dog. You watched a freak mishap occur. You saw the collar slip over my dog&#8217;s head. You saw me immediately react, bringing my dog under control as quickly as I could manage without her leaving my property. You heard… <a href="https://t.co/yaefu9pngK">pic.twitter.com/yaefu9pngK</a>
— Brendan Jones 🇺🇸 (@jonesbrendanm) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonesbrendanm/status/2051483782125875278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://x.com/jonesbrendanm/status/2051483782125875278?s=20">On social media,</a> Jones called the incident a &#8220;freak mishap&#8221; and immediately brought the dog under control. He also said that Lucy never left his property.
&#8220;A passerby, a local attorney&#8217;s wife, escalated it to the authorities,&#8221; <a href="https://www.change.org/p/help-bring-home-a-veterans-11-year-old-rescue-dog-after-a-brief-leash-slip?recruiter=535315019&amp;recruited_by_id=db9f7a10-0f9e-11e6-a491-2183983b1494&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;utm_term=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylink&amp;share_id=xHNTp9KntX">Jones and his wife Dolly wrote</a>. &#8220;Now, at 11 years old, Lucy is unjustly confined in a shelter; confused, lonely, and awaiting death for doing nothing but barking — something all dogs do!&#8221;
Lucy, according to Jones, had been declared “dangerous” a year earlier after she nipped a passerby. He <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/dog-saved-isis-army-veteran-kidnapped-family-yard-local-authorities">said</a> the incident was out of character and occurred while the dog was recovering from surgery and still groggy. 
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She was drugged up post surgery. Not in her right mind. She was injured and in pain. She was wearing a boot and hobbling on three lets. She was wearing a cone and couldn&#8217;t see. In this vulnerable and confused state, a strange hand suddenly appeared next to her head. She felt… <a href="https://t.co/IQaG4QujHv">pic.twitter.com/IQaG4QujHv</a>
— Brendan Jones 🇺🇸 (@jonesbrendanm) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonesbrendanm/status/2056191576263582075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
Dolly Jones, Brendan&#8217;s wife, said the couple has faced repeated conflicts with neighbors, including over a dozen police calls and multiple court appearances over animal-related noise complaints. Jones argued that the incident involving Lucy was &#8220;the weapon they needed to wield against us.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s been heartbreaking for everybody,&#8221; Dolly Jones said on &#8220;<a href="https://hannity.com/media-room/save-lucy-army-vets-beloved-pup-who-survived-isis-now-locked-in-virginia-kennel/">The Sean Hannity Show</a>.&#8221; &#8220;When they actually came and kidnapped her off our property, the kids were outside playing, and the cops came up and removed her from the field, put her in the car. It&#8217;s been devastating.&#8221; 
Brendan found and fell in love with Lucy in 2015 while &#8220;camping in the reddish moondust on the border between Jordan and Syria.&#8221;
&#8220;A young dog, pearl white in color, hung out with us at camp. We kind of adopted her and fed her leftovers. She appreciated having a full belly and a respite from the packs of wild dogs and angry Bedouins,&#8221; he said on social media. &#8220;We named her Lucy, which was appropriate, because it was similar to the Arabic word &#8216;Lulu,&#8217; which means pearl.&#8221;
Then, he bribed a Jordanian officer to get Lucy veterinary care. 
&#8220;First, I asked him straight up to take the dog to the vet in Amman. He laughed, spat on the ground, and said something disparaging about Americans and their love for filthy dogs. So I went for his Achilles heel — his love of Oakley sunglasses. I told him I would give him my Oakleys if he drove the dog 3.5 hours to Amman and delivered her to the vet. That got him. He said he would,&#8221; Jones said. 
Following the birth of his newborn son, Jones said Lucy helped fill the void of his emotional pain overseas. 
&#8220;I missed being a dad, I missed the dad life, and that&#8217;s not the headspace you want when you&#8217;re overseas in danger, when you have to be focused on the mission,&#8221; he told Hannity. &#8220;Lucy helped me get over that, because she filled that void that was missing. I would sit outside our gate after we adopted her and just pet her, play with her, feed her; it helped me overcome the pain that I felt.&#8221; 
Lucy is still sitting in her cell at the pound, <a href="https://x.com/jonesbrendanm/status/2057510905621975420?s=20">according to Jones</a>, and the dog is unlikely to be released before Jones&#8217; next court date, which is set for June 12. 
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Took Lucy treats. Couldn&#8217;t see her. One of the ladies took a video of her. She sent it to me along with the following message:
&#8220;Praying for a positive outcome soon for Lucy! 🙏&#8221;
These people are heroes. God bless them. But I want my dog back.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveLucy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveLucy</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Herb_Minstrel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Herb_Minstrel</a> <a href="https://t.co/htCgWM3CEo">pic.twitter.com/htCgWM3CEo</a>
— Brendan Jones 🇺🇸 (@jonesbrendanm) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonesbrendanm/status/2056427493830033833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We&#8217;re hoping that her life be bookended by miracles, one to get her here and one to save her from the Islamic State, and one to get her out of the hands of our own state,&#8221; Jones told Hannity.  
The Jones family <a href="https://www.change.org/p/help-bring-home-a-veterans-11-year-old-rescue-dog-after-a-brief-leash-slip?recruiter=535315019&amp;recruited_by_id=db9f7a10-0f9e-11e6-a491-2183983b1494&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_campaign=share_petition&amp;utm_term=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylink&amp;share_id=xHNTp9KntX">created an online petition</a> calling for Lucy&#8217;s release.

HHhVlD7XgAEkKWv

Army Veteran Saved His Dog From ISIS — Then His Neighbors Had Her Kidnapped

Dogs

News

Virginia

Unique milestone photos are nothing new, but one Texas-based grad is taking things to the next level.
Kat Daley, a graduating McNeese State University student, is going viral online for a photo shoot she did with a live 14-foot alligator named “Big Al.” This moment was personal for her as she helps run Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas, with her fiancé, Eddie.
“I really wanted to highlight what I do with these animals every day and what they mean to me,” she <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/17/us-news/glamorous-coed-takes-insane-graduation-pics-with-alligator/">told</a> The New York Post in an interview.
<div id="attachment_1097265" style="width: 717px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1097265" class="size-large wp-image-1097265" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-2-707x576.png" alt="Gator with Daley" width="707" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-2-707x576.png 707w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-2-300x245.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-2-768x626.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-2.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" />Laura Oglesbee Photography</div>
Daley said the photos were partially to show off her life’s work, and partially to help de-stigmatize the animals themselves.
“I feel like reptiles are demonized in the media a lot more than they need to be, alligators specifically. They’re not as aggressive as people like to think. When people don’t interfere with those wild animals, they aren’t gonna interfere with us,” she told the Post.
Her photographer Laura Oglesbee said Daley was calm and professional during the shoot. 
“The alligators are trained, they only do it with Big Al and Big Tex, who have been trained for a long time. It’s not just some random alligator,” she told the outlet. 
Oglesbee said that she was more hesitant about the shots of Daley holding a venomous rattlesnake, which necessitated her using a “wide angle lens” and staying far, far away.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="She kissed a 14 foot alligator for graduation photos" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2eYRsouKmCo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Daley is graduating from McNeese State University with a general studies degree and plans to stay on at Gator Country working for now. The facility, located about 80 miles outside of Houston, takes in around 250 nuisance gators which are captured each year.
“We bring them here, take care of them, feed them, pretty much let them live out their best lives they can in captivity because they don’t have a chance in the wild,” she told The Post of her employer. 
<div id="attachment_1097269" style="width: 822px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1097269" class="size-large wp-image-1097269" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-3-812x576.png" alt="Daley Gator" width="812" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-3-812x576.png 812w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-3-300x213.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-3-768x545.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Daley-Gator-3.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 812px) 100vw, 812px" />Laura Oglesbee Photography</div>
“I love the conservation aspect of it, where we get to save these animals that would otherwise be destroyed. But I also love the education aspect, getting people to see and interact with these animals and see they’re not so scary.”
Daley concluded, “Honestly I kind of already have my dream job, so I think I’m just gonna stay right here and see where it takes me.”

Gator Kiss Daley

SEE IT: She Kissed A 14-Foot Alligator For Graduation Photos

Alligator

Graduation

Former reality star Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles against incumbent Karen Bass, is taking a stand for animals that are allegedly being tortured by homeless people in the community.
The mayoral hopeful has been posting about animals being abused on Skid Row and beyond for weeks, sharing graphic videos of dogs overdosing on fentanyl and one presented with his eyes sewn shut.
“As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura (his nickname for Bass) and [coucilwoman] Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers,” he wrote in a post on April 20.
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As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura and Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers! <a href="https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB">https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB</a> <a href="https://t.co/XDnpJk4aba">pic.twitter.com/XDnpJk4aba</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2046277962664996895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“This is uncaring Karen’s legacy,” he said of Bass in response to a video of a dog with drugs in its system receiving medical care. “Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is uncaring Karen’s legacy. Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor. <a href="https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R">https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2047197321079980376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In another video <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXhkUNNAdT9/">shared</a> to Instagram on Friday, he accused Bass and Raman of “facilitating the torture, mutilation, abuse, and murder of thousands of dogs by crazy drug addicts who breed them for money, set them on fire, [and] conduct Nazi-like experiments.”
Pratt says the dogs become drug testers and are frequently overdosing.
The former star of “The Hills” said that Raman allegedly “walked out” of a recent city council meeting after an animal rescue worker begged for help with the problem.
Pratt also said a rally was happening at The Barkery in Encino on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to raise awareness and “save our pets from the zombies.”
The reality alum announced that he is running for mayor of Los Angeles on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire, which is the event that he says radicalized him to make a change in his community. The Republican and former star of “The Hills” has been critical of local Democrats for their actions before and after the fires. Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, and his parents all lost their homes.
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling; it’s fundamentally broken. It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash,” Pratt said in part while announcing his campaign.
Pratt is a first-time candidate facing more than a dozen other contenders in the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June, including current Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Bass, who is seeking re-election. Pratt’s campaign website describes him as “Karen Bass’ worst nightmare.”

Spencer Pratt

Reality Star Rips Dem Karen Bass For Allowing Homeless To ‘Conduct Nazi-Like Experiments’ On Dogs

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A pair of giant pandas will make their way to America as part of a ten-year agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, according to a statement from China on Friday. The male, Ping Ping, and the female, Fu Shuang, will relocate to Zoo Atlanta, becoming the third zoo in the United States to currently house the animals.
The announcement comes just weeks before President Donald Trump is set to visit Beijing, where he will meet with China’s President Xi Jinping.
Specific departure dates have not yet been given, but the zoo is currently working on facility upgrades and preparation work for the pandas&#8217; arrival, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-pandas-zoo-atlanta-743549119313ddeea6b1d838f76fe8b3">statement</a>.
Zoo Atlanta <a href="https://zooatlanta.org/two-new-giant-pandas-are-expected-to-arrive-at-zoo-atlanta/">said</a> Thursday that it was delighted and honored to be trusted to take care of the pandas. “We can’t wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to welcome our members, guests, city, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas,” said the zoo’s president, Raymond B. King. 
The zoo cited a previous panda agreement with the association from 1999 to 2024, which &#8220;resulted in a highly productive 25 years of partnership,&#8221; where pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang gave birth to seven cubs. They returned to China once the partnership concluded.
America was briefly &#8220;panda-less&#8221; in 2024 when several agreements ended, marking the first time without pandas in fifty years since the first pair arrived in 1972.
Pandas have long been a broader symbol of China&#8217;s ties to foreign nations, where the country loans them to strengthen its relationships; the animals are typically sent back when the agreement ends. &#8220;Panda diplomacy,&#8221; as it&#8217;s commonly called, has been a practice since the People&#8217;s Republic of China&#8217;s founding in 1949 and can conversely be used to show the nation&#8217;s negative feelings toward another country.
In 2010, China <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/what-is-chinas-panda-diplomacy-how-does-it-work-2024-06-18/#:~:text=Former%20Chinese%20leader%20Mao%20Zedong,opens%20new%20tab%20Read%20more">recalled</a> two pandas from Zoo Atlanta after warnings from the nation of a meeting between then-President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama. Though there was no formal statement on the matter, some speculated the timing reflected Beijing&#8217;s displeasure with Washington.
The San Diego Zoo and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are the other two locations in the U.S. with pandas.

A Chinese Panda on a Tree

‘Panda Diplomacy’ Is Back And An American Zoo Just Hit The Jackpot

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A long-stable community of chimpanzees in Uganda has fractured into a sustained, lethal conflict that researchers are now describing as a kind of civil war, raising new questions about the roots of violence not just in primates, but in human societies.
The conflict is unfolding among the Ngogo chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, a group that scientists have studied continuously since the mid-1990s. For roughly two decades, the apes lived as a single, unusually large and cohesive community, at one point numbering around 200 individuals.
“They were living the good life by being together,” primatologist John Mitani, a longtime researcher on the project, told The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/ngogo-uganda-chimpanzee-civil-war-99f04332">Wall Street Journal</a>. The chimps hunted together, shared territory, and even coordinated attacks against rival groups outside their own. That stability and cooperation began to break down around 2015.
According to a new study published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4944">Science</a>, the group started to split into factions after several key male chimpanzees died, weakening the social bonds that had tied different cliques together. Around the same time, a shift in the dominance hierarchy introduced new tensions, with a new alpha male rising to power.
At first, the changes were subtle; chimpanzees that once moved freely between subgroups began avoiding each other, interactions that had once ended in grooming and cooperation started to turn hostile. Then, in a moment researchers described as unmistakable, the shift became visible.
“All hell broke loose,” Mitani recalled of a 2015 encounter between two factions that suddenly turned violent. Over the next three years, the split hardened, and by 2018, what had once been a single group had fully divided into two separate communities, occupying different parts of the forest, no longer mating with one another, and treating a shared territory as a contested border.
Then the killing began.
Members of the smaller faction, called the Western group, began launching coordinated attacks on the larger Central group. Researchers observed organized patrols, targeted ambushes, and repeated attempts to kill rival males — among other <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/02/chimps-use-military-style-tactics-to-gain-advantage-on-rivals-study-reveals">common tactics</a> used by chimpanzees. By 2021, the violence had escalated further, expanding to include attacks on infants.
In total, researchers have documented more than 28 deaths among the Ngogo chimps, including those of 19 infants, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/science/chimpanzees-war-ngogo-uganda.html">according</a> to The New York Times. The real number is likely higher, as some bodies are never recovered.
What makes the situation unusual is not just the scale of the violence, but who it is directed at. Chimpanzees are known to attack rival groups, but in this case, the victims are former allies — animals that once lived, hunted, and socialized together for years.
Researchers say they still do not have a definitive explanation for why the split happened. One theory is that the group simply grew too large, straining the social ties that kept it together. Another points to the loss of key individuals who acted as “bridges” between different cliques. Changes in leadership and competition for mates may have further accelerated the breakdown.
Aaron Sandel, another co-author on the study, said those overlapping pressures may have been enough to push the group past a tipping point.
The findings are significant because they challenge a common assumption about conflict, that it is driven primarily by cultural or ideological differences. Scientists and philosophers have long debated where human warfare is rooted: whether it lay mainly in cultural differences, desire for wealth and security, or whether it can emerge more fundamentally from the breakdown of social cohesion.
The Ngogo chimps suggest the latter may play a larger role than previously thought. Researchers caution against drawing direct parallels, but the pattern is difficult to ignore. A large successful group, the gradual erosion of internal bonds leading to the emergence of factions, and eventually, sustained violence between former members of the same group.
For now, “It’s an ongoing conflict,” Mitani said, with no signs of slowing down.
And for the scientists tracking it in real time, the experience is as unsettling as it is revealing. “I feel like a war correspondent,” Sandel said. “I want to be there to see it, but it’s sad. I’ve seen so many dead bodies of chimps.”

1280px-Chimpanzees_in_Uganda_(5984913059)

Bloody Civil War Between Two Factions Of Chimpanzees Has Scientists Baffled

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