Big impact of new species of small ants, lions changed their hunting methods, scientists worried

It is said that a small ant can drive a big animal like an elephant crazy. The small virus Corona also shook the world of humans. A new study has revealed that an invasive species is changing the entire eco system, due to which even the lives of lions are undergoing major changes. The lions which earlier used to hunt zebras easily. Now they are having difficulty in doing so. Therefore they have changed their method of hunting.

The study, led by University of Florida professor Ted Palmer, has found that the big-headed ant is changing the hunting methods of African lions. The study found this to be especially true in the case of hunting animals like zebras.

Over three decades of research, the team used hidden cameras, satellite tracking of lions, and modeling at Kenya’s Keol Pajita Nature Conservancy to shed light on the complex relationships between ants, trees, elephants, lions, zebras, and buffalo . Till now, the ants’ nests in this area used to protect the Acacia trees from animals that eat their leaves. Because of these ants, animals like elephants and giraffes are not able to eat these trees.

But with the arrival of new big-headed ants, changes started taking place in the ecosystem here. These invasive ants do not protect Acacia plantations from larger leaf-eating animals. Due to this, the number of these trees reduced and hence the trees are not as dense. Due to the lack of dense trees, lions started having trouble catching their favorite prey, zebras, because they could no longer hide and hunt.

Also read: Animals chew other creatures raw, what will happen if humans do this?

These big mouth ants have flourished here only 15 years ago. But their presence has had a deep impact on the ecosystem here. Now the situation has become such that even the lions have changed their hunting strategy and now they have started hunting buffaloes. Now researchers are working on finding ways to save the trees here from big-headed ants so that balance can be restored to the ecosystem here soon. These involve confining large animals to a large enclosure.

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