Discover how an ant managed to steal a lion’s meal in a surprising twist of nature. This isn’t a tale from Aesop, but rather the result of a recent study that reveals the significant impact of a small disruption in the African savanna’s food web, reaching all the way to the lion’s domain. For the past 15 years, wildlife ecologist Jake Goheen and his team have been investigating the protective relationship between acacia ants and whistling thorn trees. The ants’ defense mechanism against elephants is quite remarkable, as they swarm inside the elephant’s nostrils to deter them from eating the trees. Additionally, the researchers found that lions are more successful in hunting when tree cover is abundant. However, what happens when tree cover diminishes? To answer this question, the team tracked the activity and kills of six lionesses and set up experimental plots to observe the impact of invasive big-headed ants on the ecosystem.
2024-01-25 14:00:00
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