How ants changed Kenya – level 2
05-09-2025 07:00
Big-headed ants came to Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau in the 2000s and spread quickly. They attacked many insects and birds, but the biggest problem was their fight with local acacia ants.
Acacia ants live inside whistling-thorn acacia trees and protect them from animals like elephants. The new ants killed acacia ants and made the trees weak. Many trees fell, and the land became open grassland. This change also influenced lions. Lions usually hunt zebras, but they need trees to hide before jumping on them.
When trees disappeared, zebras ran away more easily. Lions then started to hunt more buffalo, which are stronger and more dangerous. In this way, very small ants changed plants, trees, and even the food of lions.
Difficult words: influence (to affect someone or something), hide (to put something or yourself in a place where others cannot see it), disappear (to go away or into a place where others cannot see you).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
How did the loss of whistling-thorn acacia trees lead lions to change their choice of prey?
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