Worst Dads In Animal Kingdom: From Deadbeats To Cannibals

A male lion kills all cubs when taking over a pride. This removes future threats and increases the chance females mate soon.These males are not the most responsible parents.They generally do no hunting; they let the females hunt. Adult males spend most days lazing around.

When a female partner is near, the male sand goby acts like a good father. The fish carefully guards its eggs and builds nests. However, without the mother, the male tends toward bad behavior.The male sand goby tends toward more nefarious behavior.They eat many eggs for a free meal. They also target big eggs, knowing they need more care and resources, which cuts down their work.

Grizzly bears stand out because they will eat their own cubs even when food is available. Other animals only eat their young in dire situations. These bears kill and eat any young bear entering their territory.Grizzly bears will kill and eat any young bear that enters their territory.Because grizzlies protect their land, bear cubs must learn to stay away from areas where other grizzlies live.

The pigeon guillemot lives across the North Pacific Ocean. While many birds show parental care, this seabird is different. A 2008 study showed males of this species often killed chicks in their nests.Males of the pigeon guillemot were responsible for killing chicks in their nests.Experts found birds regularly pecked chicks to death or threw them from high cliffs. Researchers thought this killed off competition for food, increasing survival chances.

Male sea bass act like other fish in fatherly ways. They diligently guard the eggs, build nests, and watch them stay safe. This behavior changes fast after eggs hatch and most young fish swim off. The few left become food for the dad who protected them.This behavior changes quickly after the eggs spawn and most newborn fish swim away.The few fish left become lunch for the dad, who needed quick nutrients after failing to hunt for other food.

Hanuman langurs kill infants, similar to lions. Males usually do this after taking over a new female group. They cull the young because they see them as a future threat to their leadership. This also lets them mate with females sooner.Langur females stop ovulating while nursing. Killing their young lets them get pregnant, letting males pass on genes.Killing the infants allows langur females to become pregnant, letting males pass on their genes.

The assassin bug is hardwired to eat many of its own young. It struggles to protect eggs from parasitic wasps. This stops the bug from feeding, so it uses other ways to get the food it needs to live. Specifically, theytarget eggs on the outer layer of their nests.The assassin bug targets the outer layer of their nests because those eggs are most likely to be killed and eaten by wasps.

Experts see infanticide in whales and dolphins as rare. However, some bottlenose dolphins have been seen doing it. Males use differentmethods to try and kill young dolphins.These methods include keeping them underwater until they drown or flipping them out of the sea to exhaust them. Researchers think this keeps mothers available for mating; they avoid spending years raising a calf.

Scientists do not know exactly why chimpanzee males sometimes kill infants in their groups. The apes areChimpanzee is known.It is highly aggressive.Chimpanzee males attack each other sometimes. Their complex social structures and ability to plan and feel strong emotions cause fights, often over resources and territory. Adult males make young chimpanzees easy targets, even their own children.

Adult male iguanas sometimes turn to cannibalism in severe situations. This includes eating their own offspring or the young of others in areas. This behavior happens most often when theThe environment suffers from a drought.When normal food sources run out, male iguanas eat young members of their own species. They are small and defenseless against adults, making them easy targets. They likely do this because adults are more likely to survive harsh conditions.

Gelada monkeys, like other primates, are poor fathers. They often commit infanticide, killing infants when taking over a group, similar to chimpanzees and baboons. But they also act like terrible dads to their own young. They do not care about the young members of their social group, doing almost nothing to feed or protect them from dangers. Instead,the mothers handle all of this work.Mothers keep a careful watch over their young for the first six months of their lives.