• Question: Would an animal ever kill another animal just for sport?

    Asked by alexrive to Charlotte, Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 18 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Valeria Senigaglia

      Valeria Senigaglia answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      That would be a pointless waste of energy. However some animals play with dead animals, scientists think they do it to learn how to handle preys or for fun, considering it as a toy

    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      I think I have to disagree – many domestic cats kill mice and birds soley to exhibit their hunting behaviour – a study showed that by and large pet cats didn’t eat their prey. As they aren’t acting out of self defense and the cats have a need to exhibit this behaviour, I’d say they do ‘kill for sport’

      Saying they ‘enjoy it’ however is another matter entirely and entirely not for us to say!

    • Photo: Joanna Cruden

      Joanna Cruden answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      I want to say no but having seen cats playing with live mice I am not so sure, I think also some animals don’t realise their strength or the fear they induce in another species, a pet dog may kill another pet in play but not for sport.

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