#千万IP创科学普# In a lion family, the dad eats first, and then the mom and baby can eat?

There is a large cat species on the African grasslands - African lions. They live in groups and conquer the grasslands with the power of the team. They have complex social attributes and living habits. The most interesting thing is their eating order. Did you know that in a lion family, the father eats first, and then the mother and the baby can eat? Is this true? Why is it so?

1. How do lions hunt?

Lions are carnivorous animals that mainly feed on baboons, hippos, zebras, impalas, and other types of antelope. They usually go out to hunt at dusk or early morning, using grass or trees as cover, and suddenly rush out to attack when they get close to their prey. Generally speaking, female lions are responsible for hunting and raising cubs, while male lions are responsible for patrolling the territory and resisting invasions from other lion groups and rivals such as hyenas. Lionesses usually divide the work and cooperate with each other. Some are responsible for chasing, besieging or distracting the prey, while others are responsible for attacking from the side or behind and biting the prey's throat or neck. Although male lions do not often participate in hunting activities, if they encounter larger or more dangerous prey (such as buffalo, hippopotamus, elephants, etc.), male lions will come forward to assist female lions in completing the kill.

2. How do lions eat?

When lions catch prey, they eat in the order of male lions first, then lioness, and finally cubs. Male lions often domineeringly drive away lioness and cubs, and then occupy the prey alone. Male lions usually eat the internal organs first, because internal organs have no bones, can be swallowed directly, and are rich in nutrients. After the male lion is full, he will let the lioness and cubs come forward to share the food. If the prey caught is large, all members of the lion group can eat enough; if the prey caught is small, the lioness and cubs will often be hungry, and the lioness will have to go hunting again.

3. Why do lions eat like this?

For humans, this order of eating seems very unfair and even a little cruel. Why does the dad eat first, and then the mom and baby can eat? This is because on the African grasslands, the role of the male lion is to protect the entire lion group and territory, which consumes more energy and also maintains its dominant position. If the male lions do not eat first, they will not have enough strength to fight other enemies or competitors. Moreover, in the wild, food is a scarce resource, and male lions must give priority to meeting their own needs in order to ensure their own survival and pass on their family line. From an evolutionary perspective, this order of eating is also conducive to increasing the transmission rate of male genes.