Student's completed 'Life as a Hunter' worksheet calculating the net energy gain for a female lion hunting various prey species.

You’re on the right track thinking about energy efficiency — but let’s correct and clarify your analysis based on the data and constraints.

---

## 🔍 Problem Summary:

- Goal: Female lion needs at least 13,500 kcal/day to survive.
- Energy limit per hunt: Cannot exceed 15,000 kcal spent per hunt.
- She can hunt 1–3 times per day, depending on prey size (since she rests ~90% of the day).
- We are to determine how many of each prey species she must hunt to meet her daily energy need, while staying under the 15,000 kcal/hunt limit.
- Then, answer: Is it better to hunt small prey more often or large prey less frequently?

---

## ✔ Step-by-step Analysis:

Let’s evaluate each prey type using the table you filled out:

| Prey | Min # to eat | Energy cost per hunt | Total cost for min # | Energy gained | Net energy | Worth hunting? |
|-------------|--------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------|------------|----------------|
| Meerkat | 5 | -3,000 | -15,000 | 5,000 | -10,000 | ✘ No |
| Warthog | 3 | -5,000 | -15,000 | 12,000 | -3,000 | ✘ No |
| Wildebeest | 1 | -10,000 | -10,000 | 25,000 | +15,000 | ✔ Yes |
| Zebra | 1 | -55,000 | -55,000 → >15,000 | 170,000 | +115,000 | ✘ No (exceeds limit) |

> ⚠️ Important: The Zebra is not an option because the energy cost (-55,000 kcal) exceeds the 15,000 kcal/hunt limit. Even though it gives a huge net gain, she cannot afford to hunt it under the rules.

---

## 📊 Let’s Calculate Realistic Daily Scenarios:

She can hunt 1–3 times per day. Let’s find combinations that give ≥13,500 kcal net gain without exceeding 15,000 kcal per hunt.

Option 1: Hunt 1 Wildebeest

- Cost: 10,000 kcal
- Gain: 25,000 kcal
- Net: +15,000 kcal → ✔ Meets daily need in one hunt!

This is ideal: one successful hunt = full energy requirement met, well under the 15,000 kcal limit.

---

Option 2: Hunt 3 Warthogs

- Cost per hunt: 5,000 → 3 hunts = 15,000 kcal total cost
- Gain per hunt: 12,000 → 3 hunts = 36,000 kcal
- Net: +21,000 kcal → ✔ Also meets need

BUT — this requires 3 separate hunts, which may be risky, time-consuming, and energetically inefficient compared to one big kill.

---

Option 3: Hunt 5 Meerkats

- Cost: 3,000 × 5 = 15,000 kcal
- Gain: 5,000 kcal
- Net: -10,000 kcal → ✘ She loses energy! Not viable.

---

## 🧠 Answer to Question 1:

> Which is a better way to use their energy: hunting small prey more often or large prey less frequently? Explain your reasoning.

✔ Hunting large prey less frequently is better.

Why?

- Wildebeest gives +15,000 kcal net in one hunt, meeting the daily requirement with minimal effort and risk.
- Hunting small prey like meerkats or even warthogs requires multiple hunts, increasing exposure to danger, time spent hunting, and potential for failure.
- Even though warthogs give a net positive if hunted 3 times, it’s less efficient than one successful wildebeest hunt.
- Meerkats are actually energy-negative — they cost more to hunt than they provide.
- Zebra is too costly per hunt — not allowed under the 15,000 kcal limit.

💡 Biological Insight:

In nature, predators often follow the optimal foraging theory — maximize energy gain per unit time/effort. One high-yield hunt (like wildebeest) is far superior to multiple low-yield hunts.

---

## ✍️ Correction to Your Answer:

You wrote:
> “I think small prey more often because one they’ve faster to hunt take less energy and still give you a good amount of calories like the warthog.”

Actually:
- Warthog does give good calories, but you need 3 hunts to get enough energy — which costs 15,000 kcal total and risks 3 separate failures.
- Wildebeest gives more net energy (15,000) in just one hunt, costing only 10,000 kcal.
- So large prey less frequently is better — especially since the wildebeest fits perfectly within the 15,000 kcal limit and meets the daily need alone.

---

## ✔ Final Answer:

> It is better to hunt large prey less frequently. One wildebeest provides 15,000 kcal net energy in a single hunt (costing only 10,000 kcal), fully meeting the lion’s daily requirement. Hunting smaller prey like warthogs requires multiple hunts (increasing risk and effort) and meerkats actually result in a net energy loss. Therefore, targeting larger, energy-efficient prey like wildebeest is the optimal strategy under these constraints.

---

Let me know if you’d like to explore Round 2 or optimize multi-prey strategies! 🦁