Canibal Animals: 10 Creatures That Eat Their Own

Zee Media Bureau
Jul 12, 2023

Lions

New male leaders of a pride kill existing cubs, to avoid raising offspring that aren’t theirs

Polar Bears

Polar bears rarely ate each other before, but now they do more often due to climate change

Chimpanzee

Male chimps kill infants they don’t think are theirs, to get more mating chances and beat rival males.

Hippopotamus

Hippos sometimes kill and eat other adult hippos, but not their babies

Sand Tiger Shark

The unborn babies of this shark fight and eat each other inside the mother’s womb

Black Widow Spiders

Female black widows also eat their tiny male partners, sometimes during sex

Cane Toads

Big tadpoles of cane toads gobble up their newly hatched siblings

Hamsters

Mother hamsters may eat their newborns if they lack vital nutrients

Praying Mantis

Female mantises often decapitate and devour male mantises after mating

Caecilians

These worm-like amphibians feed their babies with a fatty skin layer that regrows every three days

VIEW ALL

Read Next Story