Ugandan primatologist Sabrina Krief has documented chimpanzees seemingly engaging in storytelling and imaginative play, offering new insights into the cognitive and emotional complexity of the species. Krief, who has spent three decades observing a chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, described witnessing young chimpanzees playing with what appeared to be dolls, and instances of chimpanzees seemingly recounting experiences to one another.
Krief’s research centers on a community of approximately one hundred chimpanzees inhabiting a 25 square kilometer area within the Sebitoli region of Kibale National Park, a relatively high density for the species. The Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project, founded in 2008 by Krief and her husband Jean-Michel Krief, aims to conserve chimpanzees and their habitat through scientific research, improved human-wildlife coexistence, and local community engagement.
The primatologist, a professor at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, emphasizes an observational approach that prioritizes minimizing human impact on the chimpanzees’ natural behavior. She describes striving to become “less important than a tree or a stone,” allowing the chimpanzees to habituate to her presence without altering their routines. This contrasts with earlier primatological operate, such as that of Jane Goodall, which involved more direct interaction with the animals.
Krief’s work builds upon decades of research into chimpanzee behavior, including studies of their diet, health, and self-medication practices. She is the author of “Chimpanzees, My Brothers of the Forest” (2019) and contributed to the recent collection “Pushing the Limits.” Her research is conducted in collaboration with the Forest Fauna Population in Uganda project, which focuses on strengthening governance, restoring harmony between wildlife and humans, and developing sustainable agricultural practices.
The Sebitoli Chimpanzee Project maintains a field station, constructed in 2015, that serves as a base for researchers, assistants, and students, and includes a laboratory and a community outreach center. Ongoing activities include chimpanzee monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, and community sensitization programs. The project operates in a challenging environment, bordering agricultural land and a paved road, requiring a focus on mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
Krief’s observations of chimpanzee play and potential storytelling challenge conventional understandings of primate cognition and suggest a level of social and emotional sophistication previously underestimated. The findings come as the primatology community mourns the recent passing of Jane Goodall, a pioneer in the field, on October 1st, 2025, at the age of 91.
