Why Do Hyenas Kill Lions and Then Eat Only a Few Bites?
Why are hyenas often called 'hyena twins' in Africa? Many people have a negative impression of hyenas, believing they are scavengers and often compete with lions for food.
However, a group of scientists are trying to correct this perception. Biologists explain that while hyenas scavenge, they generally hunt their own prey, and lions compete with hyenas for food more often than hyenas compete with lions.
Although these two animals dislike each other, they do not have a predator-prey relationship. Hyenas do not provoke lions, and lions do not provoke hyenas unless there is competition for food.
But some people have seen hyenas killing lions and eating a few bites, so what's going on?
Hyenas and Lions
Hyenas and lions share some of their diet, which often leads to friction, but hyenas are not a match for lions, especially male lions. Generally, when hyenas encounter lions competing for food, they give way.
Sometimes hyenas encounter solitary lions eating, and the pack of hyenas will steal the lions' food.
Although they both hate each other, no one has taken the initiative to attack the other, because the other is not their food, as they both belong to the carnivorous animals.
Carnivorous animals have strong attack power, if lions consider them as food, the risk of hunting failure and hunting failure rate is very high, which will waste the lion's higher energy. Therefore, it is a wise choice to hunt weaker animals. Hyenas do not hunt lions for the same reason.
From a biological perspective, hyenas and lions both belong to the top predators in the food chain, representing the end of energy flow. We know that most of the energy on Earth comes from sunlight, and plants convert solar energy into energy through photosynthesis. Animals obtain energy directly or indirectly from plants.
However, energy will be wasted during each level of transfer, generally only 5%-15% of the energy is transferred. For example, 100 acres of land can support 10 cattle, but only 1 tiger can support 10 cattle.
Therefore, energy flow has an endpoint. If the tiger eats hyenas, the number of tigers will decrease greatly, or even become extinct.
Furthermore, heavy metals accumulate in the bodies of animals. Because heavy metals do not participate in life activities, and animals cannot completely metabolize heavy metals, leading to the accumulation of heavy metals in the bodies of animals. As animals eat each other, heavy metals will pass down to the next animal.
That is, whether it is tigers or hyenas, they have a lot of heavy metals in their bodies. If they eat each other, it may cause health problems.
Therefore, they do not have a predator-prey relationship.
Will hyenas eat lions?
Although hyenas will not consider lions as food, if they find dead lions, some hungry hyenas will not waste this free lunch.
We know that hyenas scavenge, so they are scavenging animals. The difference between scavenging animals and carnivorous animals is that scavenging animals have stronger stomach acid and a stronger immune system.
This is because after animals die, microorganisms will ferment and release toxins, which can kill the animals. So carnivorous animals avoid eating food that has been dead for too long, like bears. But hyenas don't, because their stomach acid is very strong and can kill a lot of microorganisms.
Furthermore, they have antibodies against certain toxins in their evolution, so they will not die when eating carrion. In addition, from a human perspective, people also had scavenging behavior in their evolution.
Although hungry hyenas will not waste this free lunch, they do not like to eat meat, as their menu is mainly herbivorous animals, not carnivorous animals. And eating carnivorous animals will also face a risk of viral transmission.
Viruses infect animals by recognizing a substance called receptor on the cell membrane. Different animals have different receptors. In general, the more distant the kinship, the different the receptors. The closer the kinship, the more similar the receptors.
Hyenas and lions both belong to the carnivores, so their kinship is closer than herbivores, so they have similar receptors. This may cause viruses that infect lions to also infect hyenas.
We know that hyenas and lions both belong to the carnivores, so their kinship is closer than herbivores, so they have similar receptors. This may cause viruses that infect lions to also infect hyenas.
We know that hyenas and lions both belong to the carnivores, so their kinship is closer than herbivores, so they have similar receptors. This may cause viruses that infect lions to also infect hyenas.
