Interspecific competition in ecology is a form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem (eg: food or living space).
A few days ago, while on a game drive, we witnessed this form of competition when our dominant male lion chased a leopard up a tree. The branches were a bit flimsy, and the leopard unfortunately lost its balance and fell. She landed on her feet but the male lion was too quick for her… There was a huge fight, but the female managed to get away without too many scratches. This is a good example of interspecific competition.
Since both species feed on the same prey, they can be negatively impacted by the presence of the other as this means they will have less food.

Story by Clive (River Lodge)
2013/08/08