Canabalism

[dash_zero]

Is canabalism in any species 'discouraged', as in the animal that eats another of it's kind feels some negative effect? I know it's commomplace for say a praying mantis to eat it's mate, or a new alpha male such as in a lion pride to eat (or just kill?) the young of the previous male, but mad cow disease (cows being forced to eat the meat of another cow?) seems to suggest there can be negative effects for some. If so, Is this just for animals that don't usually eat meat?

Closely related to this, am i right in thinking that in normal circumstances (i.e. not times of famine) some predators such as tigers don'y typically eat the meat of another adult of their species (let's say it was killed by them in a territorial fight)? And if this is the case, why wouldn't they take up this ready food source? It's not as if, such as with most human societies, a cultue exists that discourages such behaviour.

Many thanks for any thoughts

[Homer55]

have a look at this and see if you can draw some conclusions..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism#Non-h uman_cannibalism