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Lions making fewer zebra kills due to ‘chain reaction’ involving invasive ants
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2024
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Environment
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Scientists have found the spread of big-headed ants in east Africa sets off a situation leading to lions making fewer zebra kills.Prof Todd Palmer of the University of Florida, a co-author of the research, said the findings were a surprise.
The fewer kills appear to be due to the upending of a crucial relationship – between native ants and the trees in which they live, causing a loss of cover for lions.
Acacia ants protect whistling-thorn trees by biting and stinging elephants looking for a snack.
To unpick the wider ecological impacts Palmer and colleagues first studied a number of plots in Laikipia, Kenya, some where elephants were present, some where they were excluded.
The team found that when big-headed ants and elephants were present there was a drop in tree cover and a dramatic increase in visibility.
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