Pumas make roads safer for drivers by changing prey behavior patterns
Living among large predatory carnivores could actually make you safer. A study published in the journal Current Biology found that pumas—wild cats also known as mountain lions, cougars or panthers—change deer behavior, leading to fewer collisions with cars on roadways. In areas where puma occupancy is high, the authors report a significant reduction in the total expected number of collisions over…
Pumas, also known as mountain lions, cougars, or panthers, are making roads safer for drivers by altering the behavior of their prey, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology. The research found that in areas with high puma occupancy, deer change their activity patterns, leading to a significant reduction in car collisions involving the animals.
Lead author Justin Suraci of Conservation Science Partners in California explains that large carnivores can create safer roadways through their influence on prey behavior. Deer are less likely to be in areas with many roads and become more active during the day when pumas are present, reducing the likelihood of collisions by 67% and the expected number of collisions by 76% over five years.
This unexpected ecosystem service, provided by pumas, highlights the valuable benefits that large predators can bring to human communities, encouraging coexistence and potentially influencing policy decisions regarding predator reintroduction in areas where they are re-colonizing.
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