Why do lions sometimes eat their cubs?

 Lions, like many other animals, exhibit a behavior known as infanticide, where adults kill their own or others’ offspring. Let’s explore why this occurs:

1. Infanticide by Males:

   • New Coalition Takeovers: When a new coalition of male lions takes over a pride, they often kill the existing cubs.
   • Biological Unrelatedness: These males are not biologically related to the cubs and do not want to invest energy in ensuring other lions’ genes are passed on.
   • Reproductive Opportunities: Female lions are not receptive to mating while nursing. Killing the cubs allows the males to procreate.
   • Target Age: Immigrating males typically target cubs around nine months old or younger, as the mother is still nursing them.
   • Female Defense: Lionesses try to prevent infanticide by hiding or directly defending their cubs, especially older ones who would leave the pride soon ¹.

2. Infanticide by Females:

   • Filial Infanticide: Lioness mothers sometimes deliberately abandon their litters when only one cub remains.
   • Reproductive Success: Females increase their lifetime reproductive success by abandoning single cubs and investing in larger litters.
   • Abandonment Reasons: Cubs may be abandoned if they are unhealthy, deformed, or suffering from illness ².

3. Selective Pressure:

   • Limited Reproductive Window: Males have only a two-year window to pass on their genes, and lionesses give birth once every two years.
   • High Impact: Approximately 25% of cubs dying in their first year are victims of infanticide.
   • Behavioral Adaptation: The pressure to conform to this behavior is intense ¹.

In summary, infanticide in lions serves various purposes, including reproductive advantage, resource access, and selective pressure. Both males and females engage in this behavior, impacting lion pride dynamics ¹³.