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Ants' Impact on Lions' Prey Selection in Kenya

1 min read
Source: The Economist
Ants' Impact on Lions' Prey Selection in Kenya
Photo: The Economist
TL;DR

In Laikipia county, Kenya, an invasion of big-headed ants has disrupted the ecosystem, leading to a chain of consequences that has caused lions to switch from hunting zebras to hunting buffalo. The invasion has affected the relationship between whistling-thorn trees, native acacia ants, elephants, lions, zebras, and buffalo, illustrating a phenomenon called "trophic cascade." As a result, elephants are browsing and breaking trees more frequently in invaded areas, leading to a decrease in zebra kills and an increase in buffalo kills by lions.

Topics:worldenvironmental-science#ecosystem#environmental-science#invasive-species#kenya#trophic-cascade#wildlife
Share this article
  1. How ants persuaded lions to eat buffalo  The Economist
  2. A Single Ant Species Has Upended Lions’ Diet  The Atlantic
  3. Lions making fewer zebra kills due to ‘chain reaction’ involving invasive ants  The Guardian
  4. Tiny ant species disrupts lion’s hunting beha  EurekAlert
  5. How an army of ants saved zebras from hungry lions in Kenya  The Independent

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