Related Experiment Videos
Hunger mediates apex predator's risk avoidance response in wildland-urban interface
Kevin A Blecha1, Randall B Boone2, Mathew W Alldredge3
1Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|January 31, 2018
Summary
Apex predators like pumas occasionally enter residential areas due to hunger, balancing high rewards against increased mortality risk. This explains wildland-urban conflicts and informs conservation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Wildlife Behavior
Background:
- Human-wildlife conflict, particularly with large predators, impacts conservation and policy.
- Carnivore landscape use studies often lack explanations for residential area utilization preceding conflict events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if state-dependent mortality risk-sensitive foraging explains apex carnivore (Puma concolor) use of residential areas.
- To assess how pumas balance risk and reward across varying housing densities.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed puma GPS location data, focusing on hunting and feeding sites.
- Assessed landscape variables influencing hunting success and site selection.
- Examined hunting site selection behavior conditional on hunger state indicators.
Main Results:
- Residential areas offered high energetic rewards (increased prey, hunting success) with higher housing density.
- Pumas generally avoided residential areas despite rewards, due to higher mortality risk.
- Risk avoidance behavior decreased during periods of extended hunger.
Conclusions:
- Apex carnivores face a trade-off between energetic rewards and risks in human-dominated landscapes.
- Hunger explains occasional predator use of developed areas, contributing to wildland-urban interface conflicts.
- Understanding predator movement requires considering prey distribution and human-wildlife interactions.