Apr 3, 2025
To every human, babies and mates are precious. We adore them, love them, and wish to be with them forever. But in the wild, there are certain animals who are known to eat their babies and mates, and here we mention some of them.
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Praying mantises are famous for their cannibal tendencies, and in many cases, the female mantis eats and feasts on the male mantis after mating. Why do they do it? It is said that by eating the male, the female gets extra nutrition, which can help her produce healthy eggs.
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Another cannibal in the wild, similar to the praying mantis, is the black widow spider. Most female spiders eat their mates after reproduction, and as the males are much smaller in size, they become a source of nutrients for the female.
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Sand tiger sharks are unique even in their cannibalism, because it starts right inside the womb of the female shark. Inside the mother's womb, the larger and stronger embryos eat the smaller ones for survival.
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Hamsters are the cuties of the wild, and are even domesticated by people now. But things get gruesome when a female hamster is pregnant, and begins eating her babies after they are born! When hamsters feel stressed or think they don't have enough food, they eat the weak baby.
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While this one is extremely rare and has only been reported 3-4 times, Polar bears too are known for eating their young ones. Both male and female polar bears have been spotted eating little cubs due to extreme food shortages.
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While most lions do not eat their own cubs, it is said that when a new Lion takes on the pack, he will try to eliminate the other cubs.
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Chickens too can eat their young ones, especially when they peck on their eggs. In some stressful situations, hens might attack and eat weaker eggs from its flock.
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Another rare phenomenon is when a rat eats its young. It is believed that a mother rat could eat her young ones when they feel food is scarce or if she senses that her babies won’t survive.
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Thanks For Reading!
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