Random Worst Dads In Animal Kingdom (11 items)

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  (#1) Lion

  • Panthera leo

  One of the first things that a male lion will do when they take over a pride is kill all the cubs. Yes, you read that correctly. This gets rid of potential threats that could stage their own coup in the future and ensures that the females are more likely to mate again in the short term. Even when not killing infants, adult males are not the most responsible parents in the world. They generally do no hunting, leaving it to the female members of the pride, and will instead laze around most of the day.
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  (#2) Goby

  • Gobiidae

  When their female partner is around, the male sand goby will act like a perfect father figure. The fish will carefully look after his clutch of eggs and build nests; however, when the mother is not around, the male will tend towards more nefarious behavior. They will eat as many of the eggs as possible for a free meal, and also make a point to single out particularly big eggs as they know they will need more care and resources, reducing their overall workload.
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  (#3) Grizzly Bear

  • Ursus arctos horribilis

  One of the things that really makes the grizzly bear stand out from other mammals is that grizzlies are prepared to eat their own cubs even when other food is readily available. Most other animals will only resort to cannibalism in desperate circumstances. These bears, though, are willing to kill and eat any young bear that enters their territory. As they are so protective of their territories, bear cubs have to be taught to stay out of areas that are home to other grizzlies.
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  (#4) Pigeon Guillemot

  • Cepphus columba

  The guillemot is a seabird that is found throughout various parts of the North Pacific Ocean. While many birds show strong parental sensibilities, that is not always the case with this particular seabird. Research carried out in 2008 showed that males of the species were often responsible for killing chicks in their nests. Experts found that the birds were regularly pecking them to death or even throwing them from high cliffs. The reason for this was that researchers believed they were killing off competition for resources during food shortages, making it more likely for them to survive.
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  (#5) Black bass

  • Micropterus

  Male sea bass will act in the same way as many other fish in terms of being a dedicated father. They diligently protect the eggs, building up nests and watching over them to ensure they remain safe. Unfortunately, this behavior quickly changes after the eggs begin to spawn and the vast majority of the newborn fish swim away. The few that remain behind become lunch for the dad who has so far been their protector. The impromptu meal acts as a way of gaining quick nutrients after spending a long period of time unable to hunt for other food.
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  (#6) Hanuman Langur

  Much like lions, Hanuman langurs have been observed killing infants. The males usually carry out this behavior after taking over a new group of females. They see the young as a potential future threat to their leadership and so often cull them to get rid of this threat. Not only that but it also allows them to mate with the females in the group much sooner than they otherwise would. Like several other mammals, langur females cannot ovulate while lactating. Killing their infants means that they can get pregnant, allowing the males to pass on their genes.
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  (#7) Assassin Bug

  The assassin bug is essentially hardwired to eat a huge number of their own young. This is because they have the difficult task of protecting their eggs from parasitic wasps. While doing this, they are unable to forage for food and therefore have to rely on other methods to get the nutrients they need to survive. They specifically target the eggs on the outer layer of their nests, knowing that these are the most likely to be killed and eaten by wasps.
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  (#8) Bottlenose Dolphin

  • Tursiops

  Infanticide in whales and dolphins has always been viewed by experts as a rare occurrence, but that doesn't change the fact that some bottlenose dolphins have been observed doing just that. The males use different methods to try and kill young dolphins. This can include keeping them under the water so they drown when they cannot reach the surface, or flipping them out of the sea, exhausting them. Researchers believe that they may do this to try and keep mothers available for mating as they won’t have to spend several years bringing up the calf.
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  (#9) Chimpanzee

  It is not currently known exactly why chimpanzee males will sometimes kill infants in their groups, but the apes are known to be highly aggressive and will occasionally attack each other. Due to their complex social structures and the fact that they are capable of planning and advanced emotions means they often get in fights, especially over resources and territory. Young chimpanzees are an easy target for adult males, even if they are their own children.
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  (#10) Iguana

  • Iguana

  Adult male iguanas will sometimes turn to cannibalism in extreme circumstances, including eating their own offspring or the young of others in the areas. The behavior was most commonly seen when the environment suffers from a drought. With normal food sources exhausted, the male iguanas will snack on juvenile members of their own species. The fact they are small and defenseless against the adults makes them easy targets. They probably resort to this as the adults are more likely to survive the harsh conditions.
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  (#11) Gelada Monkey

  Like many other species of primate, gelada monkeys do not make particularly good fathers. They often engage in infanticide like chimpanzees and baboons, killing infants when taking over a group. However, they also make terrible dads to their own children. They simply do not care about the young members of their social group and will do almost nothing to provide for them or protect them against threats. Instead, all of this work is left to the mothers, who keep a careful guard over their young for the first six months of their lives.

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