BBC Springwatch viewers demand age restriction as ‘brutal’ peregrine ‘massacre’ airs
BBC Springwatch viewers have demanded an age restriction on the nature programme after it aired "brutal" scenes of a peregrine eating its own chick.The eating of one's own offspring is known as filial cannibalism - and it's more common than most people thinkWhen one of the chicks shows difficulty feeding, the father begins tearing pieces of its flesh.
Species that engage in filial cannibalism include leopards, African lions, Tonkean macaques, and many fish species. For example, if a cod lays roughly five million eggs, it could use a portion of its offspring as a non-threatening and nutritious food source.While cannibalism can be common among other species, it's not typical among peregrine falcons, according to experts.
In the example shown in Springwatch, the chick was not feeding properly, and so the father may have taken that as a sign it was not well.
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