SCAVENGERS ARE OFTEN stigmatised and their names have negative connotations. We call people ‘vultures’ if they wait to exploit vulnerable individuals, and those who ‘laugh like hyenas’ are loud, foolish or hysterical. But despite these stereotypes, scavengers can be useful.
What’s a scavenger?
It’s an organism that feeds on dead organic material. Whereas a predator kills prey, a scavenger consumes matter that’s been discarded