Orangutans Found Cannibalizing Own Babies
Reported in gorillas and documented in chimpanzees, some apes actually cannibalize their own species. However, there were reports of orangutans cannibalizing their own babies were reported in the same forest area of Indonesia, just one month apart from each other.
This might be the first report of an ape eating its own offspring. “Cannibalism has been documented in chimpanzees and reported in gorillas. Never before has any ape species been seen treating its own offspring as a consumable resource”, said David Dellatore of Oxford Brookes University. Dellatore suspects that the mothers’ stressed upbringing may have triggered their later actions. Read the article from BBC – Earth News “Orangutans cannibalise own babies“.
Originally posted on The Prancing Papio.
