10 Horrifying Animal Facts You Really Don't Want To Know

5. Certain Birds Purposely Have Two Children So One Can Murder The Other

Possibly one of the most heart-breaking and disturbing parent-offspring conflict is this form of "evolutionary" murder. Birds such as boobies and the unholy-looking shoebills (see above) usually lay two or more eggs; then, based on environmental conditions, the stronger chick will either beat the weaker chick to death or drive it from the nest to die alone. This is all so the evil, more powerful chick can take a greater share of the food brought by the parents, and the unnervingly cold parents will let it all happen; like some traumatising Disney movie gone wrong.