In the animal kingdom, the most powerful are the apex predators, who rule the food chain like the kings of a place.
However, as they get older, these powerful predators will also decline.
Take the lion and the tiger, for example, everyone knows that both cats are known as the "king of the forest".
But in old age, lions are more likely to starve to death than tigers, and why is this happening?
1. The fate of the lion
The lion is the big boss of the steppe and represents strength and dignity. But their actual situation is still different from the movie, almost perennial hunger and wandering.
These guys live in a competitive environment, survival and fertility are difficult problems, whether you mean it or not, you must have seen lions in various videos and documentaries, and their predatory majesty makes all kinds of animals fearful.
Prestige alone is not enough, and the biggest problem with living on the grassland is that food is too scarce.
Lions are carnivores and need a lot of prey to survive, but in the grasslands, prey is not readily available.
They had to run around all the time, looking for meat to eat, and they had to go with all their might every time they hunted.
Even so, the days when lions were hungry were common, and they often had to go hungry.
Not only is there little food in the grasslands, but the competition is fierce, and not only between lions, but also with other predators.
There are also spotted hyenas and leopards on the grassland, and they all covet the lion's food, because there are not many prey, so every time they go out hunting, they have to distribute it internally after grabbing it, so as not to have any contradictions.
The number of lions is quite large, and in a limited environment, the distribution of resources is very limited, and large groups of lions have to grab limited food and territory, and the internal fighting is more intense.
This kind of competition and pressure is really endless, and after grabbing the food, the lions still have a task, that is, to take the lead of the lion king.
There are so many lions in the vast grasslands, but only one male lion can become the "lion king" in the lion pack.
This process is full of competition and cruelty, and every fight can become a life-and-death battle.
Those male lions who failed to become the lion king could only wander alone in the vast grasslands, looking for food and territory alone, constantly facing the dangers of the grasslands.
The lion king has his own territory and his subordinate lions, which are the basis for their survival and the place for their offspring.
Don't think that you can "lie flat" if you become a lion king, being the king does not mean comfort and happiness, but is more "busy".
The lion king's tenure is usually only about three years, and not only that, but he also needs to face challenges from other lions during his tenure, and has to shoulder the heavy responsibility of leading the lions to survive, and may even clash with other lions.
In a brutal battle with other lions, pain and risk coexist.
Every time you grab food, every time you defend your territory, it could be the last. Losing the throne, the lion king can only re-embark on the turbulent years and face a more difficult living environment.
2. The survival of tigers
The tiger has a very strong hunting skill, which is its magic weapon for survival, not only in the wilderness, but also in the forest.
As felines, tigers have sharp teeth and claws, and with their nimble skills, they can play with their prey, and even if they escape to the trees, the tiger can still catch them.
And the yellow-brown markings, which are simply natural masters of camouflage, and the tigers hiding in the woods are, without exaggeration, the nightmare of their prey.
You can't even tell where they are, they can sneak up and deliver a fatal blow.
The tiger's perception ability is also not to be said, and it is top-notch in both hearing and smelling.
They stalk their prey through dense woods, and even the slightest sound or smell can't escape their noses.
This sensitive perception makes the tiger a master of hunting, making it easier to catch prey and more satisfying to its belly.
And have you noticed that there is a difference between tigers and lions, that is, tigers are generally "lone rangers", and you have never seen a "tiger group", right?
However, there are not many tigers in the wild, and they are scattered in the vast forests, so even if they die of starvation, they are not necessarily found, and in general there are relatively few tigers that die of starvation.
Tigers are also quite righteous, they all seem to follow a "three do not kill" principle, that is, tigers will not attack the defeated kind, and they also have a natural respect and understanding for the vanquished.
Tigers also do not harm pregnant tigresses because they understand that tigresses need extra protection and love.
Not to mention harming their cubs, these old, weak, sick and disabled tigers will basically not be persecuted by their peers, and they will not easily starve to death in the wilderness.
epilogue
Although lions and tigers are both hunters at the top of the food chain, their later lives are quite different.
Although lions are social animals, they are also afraid of starvation, while tigers, although solitary animals, are better off than lions.
However, with the continuous spread of human activities, the survival of lions and tigers has become precarious.
Starvation in the wild or not is natural selection, but it would be terrible if you couldn't survive because of human activity.
We have to work together to protect these precious species so that they can continue to survive in nature.