{"id":42048,"date":"2024-09-18T22:03:03","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T20:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e242f077-0867-43b0-a880-82eb19350f61"},"modified":"2024-09-18T22:27:30","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T20:27:30","slug":"cannibal-animals-11-creatures-that-eat-their-own-species-there-may-be-some-surprises","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/cannibal-animals-11-creatures-that-eat-their-own-species-there-may-be-some-surprises\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannibal animals: 11 creatures that eat their own species – there may be some surprises…"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may seem gruesome, but many animals have been recorded feeding on their own species. Here are 11 cannibalistic animals, including some that might surprise you. <\/p>

By Leoma Williams\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 18 September 2024 at 20:03 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Cannibalism \u2013 the act of eating an individual of the same species \u2013 is often not a good idea, and not just because of our own human morals. It can lead to the spread of some very nasty diseases, as well as the evolutionary cost of potentially eating your own kin.<\/strong><\/p>

However, it is not as rare as you might think. In fact, it has been recorded in more than 1,500 species, and as with all behaviours, there is often a good evolutionary reason behind it. These reasons are varied, and cannibalism can take a few different forms, read on to find out more.<\/p>

11 examples of cannibalism in the animal kingdom<\/h2>

1. Chimpanzees<\/a> (Pan troglodytes<\/em>)<\/h3>
Alpha male chimpanzee, Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda. \u00a9 Marc Guitard\/Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Although primarily herbivorous, chimpanzees<\/a> do enjoy eating meat occasionally, hunting for monkeys and bush pigs. Their tastes can be even closer to home, however. We may not like to think of our closest animal relatives indulging in something so gruesome but they sometimes feed on their own too.<\/p>

This primarily takes the form of eating newborn infants. It is thought that male chimpanzees do this when they don\u2019t think they are the father, to free up breeding opportunities from new females, and to outcompete other males.<\/p>

Please note that external videos may contain ads:<\/em><\/p>