predation

Predation is the act of preying on someone or something, especially when you're talking about animals. Nature shows can be hard to watch when they show the predation of an animal on a smaller, cuter animal.

A predator is an animal that attacks a smaller, weaker animal, called the prey. So predation is the act of being a predator, catching and attacking. The noun predation is most commonly used to talk about groups like pirates or marauders who prey on innocent people. In fact, the Latin root word praedationem means a plundering or taking of booty. In fact, predation described people before it was applied to animals.