Africa Geographic’s science editor Tim Jackson answers your questions about wildlife. Send yours to leni@africageographic.com and you could win a pair of Lynx binoculars!
Clik here to view.
Tim Jackson
Q: If an impala, say, dies of natural causes like a disease, will the big cats, especially lions, still regard it as normal prey and eat it?
Mike Eagar, via e-mail
Clik here to view.
© Tim Jackson
A: Bottom line, yes! But to get some real insight, I took your question to well-known lion expert Paul Funston at the Tshwane University of Technology. ‘Without exception, all large carnivores, irrespective of whether they are cats, dogs or hyaenas, will scavenge from carcasses when the opportunity arises,’ he says. ‘Due to their large body size and social nature, lions and spotted hyaenas are perhaps the most noted scavengers among the bigger carnivores. They will feed on virtually any source of carrion, whether it’s from animals they have killed themselves or something they have come across in the bush – even a putrid, rotting carcass.’
If a predator is scavenging from remains it has stumbled upon, it’s not clear whether it can distinguish an animal that is carrying a viral or bacterial disease – but that doesn’t stop it from feeding. Carnivores seldom show symptoms of a disease that may have killed an ungulate. ‘Lions are, however, prone to being infected by the micro-bacterium that causes bovine tuberculosis,’ continues Funston, ‘but they seem to be immune to more virulent diseases such as anthrax.’ Less dominant large predators, such as the cheetah and African wild dog, seldom scavenge off carcasses, but they will occasionally do so when there are no larger competitors around. ‘Just imagine what a challenge we would face if cheetahs and wild dogs in zoos and captive-breeding centres refused to scavenge!’ he adds.
Have you ever wondered, ‘Why is that animal doing that?’ Or even ‘What is it doing?’ Perhaps you’ve heard a ‘tall tale’ about animal behaviour and would like to know whether it’s true. If you have a question and haven’t known whom to ask, just e-mail it to leni@africageographic.com and each month Tim will answer the most interesting one.
Mike Eagar wins a pair of Lynx Series-18 8×32 binoculars worth R2 910. With their high-grade, black leather covering, these small-bodied binoculars are ideal for wildlife enthusiasts and bird-watchers. Their Bak4 porro-prism glass and multi-coated optics provide excellent image clarity.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
