David, the chimpanzee from Attenborough doco Dynasties, found dead after savage beating

David the chimp, one of the chimpanzees featured in David Attenborough's latest nature programme Dynasties has been found dead. Photo / BBC

David, one of the chimpanzees featured in David Attenborough's latest nature show Dynasties, has been found dead.

The chimp was part of a group of a filmed by Attenborough and was seen as the defiant leader of the pack.

The episode featuring David was filmed seven months ago, but the lovable chimp was found beaten to death, presumably by another one of the gang.

Jill Pruetz, one of the directors of the Fongoli Savannah Chimpanzee Project, told the Telegraph she believes two rivals, Luthr and Jumkin, were the ringleaders in David's death.

"He died from wounds inflicted from what I'm sure are these young males," she said.

"There aren't other animals that would have inflicted wounds like that - especially when you have multiple individuals attacking a single individual.

"He was very aggressive that's why he held on to his dominant status for so long.

"He was pretty clever but our best interpretation of what happened is that these adult males jumped him."

David had previously been the longest serving "leader" of the troupe and was believed to have been in charge for several years.

The group of chimps were filmed in the jungles of Senegal and Guinea in West Africa.

Attenborough's Dynasties series revealed how Senegal's chimpanzees were under threat from the increase of gold mining.

Explaining the theme of the series, he opened with a classic Attenborough statement: "The family is one of the most powerful forces in nature", following it with the view: "Family life is full of wonder, beauty, and drama."

The highlight was the show's central character and the joy with which Attenborough introduced him: "An alpha male known as David!"

But Attenborough revealed how David's rivals were prepared to kill him so could trust no other chimp.

The undisputed star of Dynasties was a charismatic, intimidating, authoritative, alpha male named David - still leader of the pack after a record-breaking number of years. Photo / BBC

Attenborough declared: "David is alone. He has never been more vulnerable....His torn ears are testimony to the many battles David has fought and won to protect his status. And his family."

Jumkin attacks an elderly female – a display of his aspirations for power. "David can't tolerate this! KL is proving to be a loyal ally to David!" he enthused.

Even Attenborough sounded unnerved as he announced: "When David and KL are outnumbered, everything turns to chaos!"

The apes attacked their elderly opponents, brandishing sticks and hurling rocks at them – the start of a ruck too barbaric to be fascinating.

The aftermath was even more sobering.

"At some point in the night the younger males turned on David," Attenborough said quietly, no longer using his celebratory exclamation.

The first chilling shot showed just the leader's upturned palm lifelessly in the dust, with one finger heavily cut and another seemingly cut off completely from the fighting.

Seeing the rest of his body – lying still on his back, matted fur covered in blood and flies – the chimp looked like a mouldy, long-discarded, (not very) cuddly toy.

When one grey, leathery, digit twitched you realised David was alive and actually breathing, albeit barely.

When the females returned and licked his wounds with astonishingly delicate tenderness, the chimp occasionally opened his eyes, but in the weary manner of a creature thinking being dead would have been preferable.

He was still lying there when the others were forced to embark on a 9.6km search for water, or die with him.

David was left behind.