Surplus killing

The term was invented by Dutch biologist Hans Kruuk after studying spotted hyenas in Africa[4] and red foxes in England.

John Lund, of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said that he had never documented surplus killings that extreme from grey wolves.

[27] In Florida, laboratory experiments documented cases of surplus killing in larvae of the predatory midge Corethrella appendiculata against specific larval stages of different species of mosquitoes of the genus Toxorhynchites.

Bears engaging in surplus killing of salmon are more likely to eat unspawned fish because of higher muscle quality, and high-energy parts such as brains and eggs.

Nonetheless, researchers say animals surplus-kill whenever they can, in order to procure food for offspring and others, to gain valuable killing experience, and to create the opportunity to eat the carcass later when they are hungry again.