Predator Species Research Articles

Role of prey refuge and fear level in fractional prey–predator model with anti-predator

Ecological modeling is an effective tool for studying the interactions between predator and prey species by considering various functional responses and ecological effects. Employing computational or mathematical models allows us to determine the impact of specific human interventions or animal behaviors on the evolution of these species. The fear experienced by prey due to the presence of predators plays a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of their interactions. The manuscript focuses on developing and examining a novel prey–predator model that considers predation fear, prey refuge, and anti-predator effects. Caputo fractional derivative is utilized in the construction and analysis of the model, which integrates ecological principles like memory effects to improve our comprehension of species relationship. The study investigates aspects such as stability, well-posedness, and solution uniqueness for the proposed model. We carried out extensive numerical simulation to support theoretical results. Graphical results are provided for the model encompassing a broad spectrum of fractional order values. The effect of the fear level, growth rate of prey, saturation rate and prey refuse on the behavior of the solution are discussed.

First trials exploring the potential of phytoseiid mites in managing lychee erinose mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae), infestations on lychee plants.

Phytoseiid mites have been frequently found in association with the lychee erinose mite, Aceria litchii, on lychee plants in Brazil, suggesting that they are promising candidates as biological control agents against this pest. Here, we investigated whether phytoseiids would suppress A. litchii infestation, i.e. formation of erinea, on lychee plants under field conditions. Four groups of A. litchii-infested plants were randomly distributed in the field, with each group receiving either Phytoseius intermedius, Amblyseius herbicolus, A. herbicolus supplemented with cattail pollen or no predator. During a three-month period, the released predators, along with others present in the surrounding environment, were allowed to freely walk among all plants. In each plant, we evaluated the occurrence of phytoseiid species, their abundance, and the dynamics of erinea formation. A total of 2,097 mites, including 13 other phytoseiid species were identified. The most abundant species were Iphiseiodes zuluagai and Euseius ho, rather than the two predator species that were released. A. herbicolus and P. intermedius failed to establish populations in the majority of the plants, regardless of the presence of pollen, suggesting their ineffectiveness in controlling A. litchii infestations. While there was a significant difference in the proportion of erinea among the four treatments, this contrast was not associated with the presence of phytoseiids, suggesting that other factors might have hindered erinea formation on lychee plants. The reasons behind this outcome are further explored and discussed.

Invasive crab positively correlated with native predatory crab species over a regional scale

Invasive crab positively correlated with native predatory crab species over a regional scale

Predator-prey trait associations and feeding preferences of demersal fishes in the southern North Sea

In marine ecosystems under ongoing long-term changes, reducing complex food webs to their functionally important properties enables systematic analysis of bottom-up/top-down regulations and species turnover. The assessment of feeding interactions in the form of predator and prey trait associations provides a better understanding of predators’ criteria for prey selection and thus is a promising approach to reduce complexity. Here, we tested RLQ ordination and fourth-corner analysis, complementary multivariate approaches, as tools to identify ecologically relevant associations between the traits of 8 demersal fish species in the southern North Sea and their fish or benthic prey. To scrutinize the trait-based results in their appropriateness to reflect selective feeding behaviour of the predator species, we compared them with a taxon-based electivity index, Chesson’s α. Among 7 predator traits investigated, body tissue composition represented by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content was significantly associated with prey traits, being positively correlated with energy density of the prey and negatively with prey of low mobility. Comparisons with the electivity indices showed that the prey preferred by predators corresponded relatively well with the identified prey trait preferences. The results of the tested analysis approach support its use when assessing the mutual dependences of predator and prey populations on a functional level. Provided the data availability and quality of feeding-related traits is sufficiently high, trait-based predator-prey analysis with RLQ and fourth-corner analyses offers new possibilities for understanding food web dynamics in the context of climate-change-induced species distribution shifts.

Macroinvertebrate and vertebrate fauna of temporary pools, Hudson River Valley, New York, USA

ABSTRACT Collections of vertebrates and macroinvertebrates over two years from 26 lentic temporary water bodies each surveyed 1–4 times, in Ulster and Dutchess counties in the Hudson Valley of New York, USA, resulted in identifications of 166 species. These included species resident in temporary waters that have life stages resistant to drying and freezing, species that reproduce in temporary waters that need to mature before drying occurs, predatory species that visit temporary waters, and highly aquatic species that move overland to temporary waters. Temporary waters sampled had a range of hydroperiods from a few weeks to almost a year. Of the macroinvertebrates we identified to species, 75 were each collected in a single pool-survey (n = 62 pool-surveys). Pools with greater volume, more vegetation cover, lower pH and turbidity, and more sodium yielded greater species richness of macroinvertebrates, and species richness of certain taxa (eg Mollusca) were correlated with additional elements. We briefly discuss several unusual animal occurrences.

Sailfish generate foraging opportunities for seabirds in multi-species predator aggregations.

While various marine predators form associations, the most commonly studied are those between subsurface predators and seabirds, with gulls, shearwaters or terns frequently co-occurring with dolphins, billfish or tuna. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain poorly understood. Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the prevalence of these associations: (1) subsurface predators herd prey to the surface and make prey accessible to birds, (2) subsurface predators damage prey close to the surface and thereby provide food scraps to birds, and (3) attacks of underwater predators lower the cohesion of prey groups and thereby their collective defences making the prey easier to be captured by birds. Using drone footage, we investigated the interaction between Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and terns (Onychoprion sp.) preying on schooling fish off the eastern coast of the Malaysian peninsula. Through spatio-temporal analysis of the hunting behaviour of the two predatory species and direct measures of prey cohesion we showed that terns attacked when school cohesion was low, and that this decrease in cohesion was frequently caused by sailfish attacks. Therefore, we propose that sailfish created a by-product benefit for the bird species, lending support to the hypothesis that lowering cohesion can facilitate associations between subsurface predators and seabirds.

Counteractive effects of predator invasion and habitat destruction on predator-prey systems.

Alien species invasion and habitat destruction are among the primary threats to native animal communities, particularly for native predator-prey systems. However, when predator invasion and habitat destruction co-occur, it remains unclear whether their respective threats to native systems compensate each other or accumulate, as well as how these effects respond to the different characteristics of predator invasion and habitat destruction. In this study, we developed a spatially explicit simulation model with one prey species and one predator species and exposed it to invasive predators and habitat destruction with different properties. The results revealed the following insights: (1) Habitat destruction can compensate threats to native predator-prey systems from global predator invasion only when native predators possess predation capability similar to those of the invaders. In other scenarios, cumulative effects arise from predator invasion and habitat destruction. (2) Low levels of habitat destruction occurring at a faster rate, in conjunction with a substantial number of global invasive predators being present, can better compensate their respective threats to native predator-prey systems than the other scenarios. These findings provide valuable insights into situations where habitat destruction and alien species invasion coincide. They raise the question of whether we can leverage the interaction between them to reduce threats to biodiversity.

Are Eurasian badgers responsible for lamb predation? An investigation using farmer interviews, post‐mortem examination and molecular tools

Abstract This study investigates farmers' reports of lamb predation by badgers on Scottish sheep farms. Differentiating between predation and scavenging, and identifying the species responsible, is essential for livestock managers to effectively mitigate risk. Questionnaire‐style interviews established farmer perceptions of lamb predation by badgers and incidents of suspected predation were investigated on farms in 2022 and 2023 using post‐mortem examination and molecular tools. Farmers submitted 29 carcasses for post‐mortem. Of these, evidence of predation was present on 14 lambs (48%) and predation could not be ruled out for six further lambs (21%). No evidence of predation, but wounds consistent with scavenging after death, were present on nine lambs (31%). Nine (64%) of the 14 predated lambs also showed evidence of scavenging after death. Swabs were taken from 39 dead or injured lambs for potential predator/scavenger DNA recovery, and from 20 live control lambs. Badger DNA was obtained from the partial remains of two (5%) lambs. Badger DNA was not present on any of the carcasses submitted for post‐mortem or from any living, wounded lambs. Fox DNA was obtained from 34 (87%) dead or injured lambs, including all lambs that exhibited evidence consistent with predation at post‐mortem. Dog DNA was present on 12 (31%) lambs. While the results of this study cannot fully rule out the occurrence of lamb predation by badgers, no direct evidence was found to suggest that it does occur. The overall contribution of wildlife predation to lamb losses is considered to be low, but the results strongly suggest that foxes are likely to be responsible for lamb predation where it does occur. For livestock managers, a review of predator management strategies should be a key response to prevent future predation incidents. Practical implications. This study highlights the value of using post‐mortem examination and molecular evidence to accurately confirm predation events and to identify predator species, informing appropriate management interventions.

Effect of Sex, Age and Temperature on the Functional Response of Macrolophus pygmaeus Ramber and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae) on Eggs of Tuta absoluta.

The predatory mirids Macrolophus pygmaeus Ramber (Heteroptera: Miridae) and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae) are used for the biological control of Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and other pests in tomato greenhouses. The functional response of 1-day-old (young) and 10-day-old (old) adult females and males of M. pygmaeus and N. tenuis on eggs of T. absoluta was determined on tomato at two temperatures (20 °C and 25 °C) and LD 16:8. Females of M. pygmaeus exhibited higher predation efficiency than males at both tested temperatures. Young M. pygmaeus females had a higher efficiency than old ones, whereas males had a low efficiency irrespective of age. The predation efficiency of N. tenuis was high (but lower than M. pygmaeus) in both young females and males, although old females had a higher efficiency than the respective males. Our results show that the two predatory species have different functional response characteristics to their prey depending mainly on sex and age, which may affect their role as biological control agents.

Reducing nest box entrance diameter impacts mammal occupancy

Tree hollows are an important resource for cavity‐nesting birdlife. When large, old trees are removed from a landscape, nest boxes are often installed as part of restoration efforts to replace lost natural cavities. If nest boxes are to be successful conservation tools, non‐target species, particularly competitive and predatory species, need to be prevented from entering nest boxes. Several different modifications to nest boxes aimed at excluding non‐target species have been trialed in previous studies. We tested the effectiveness of reducing the entrance diameter of nest boxes to exclude non‐target species in Southeast Queensland, Australia. We used restrictor plates to reduce the entrance diameter of nest boxes from 90 to 60 and 50 mm and compared the wildlife occupancy of nest boxes with these three entrance diameters. We found that Common brushtail possums, a predator of cavity‐nesting birds and eggs, were significantly less likely to occupy nest boxes with reduced entrance diameters and were excluded from nest boxes with a 50‐mm entrance diameter. Squirrel gliders occupied nest boxes with all three entrance diameters. Introduced species, namely the Common myna and the European honeybee, also occupied nest boxes with restrictor plates. Installation of nest boxes with reduced entrance diameters is a simple and effective strategy to exclude brushtail possums from nest boxes. However, a reduced entrance diameter cannot exclude other non‐target species, and we suggest that other exclusion strategies should be used in conjunction with reduced entrance diameters to increase the occupation of nest boxes by native birds.

Effects of field releases of Neoseiulus barkeri on Megalurothrips usitatus abundance and arthropod diversity

Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is widely used for control of pest mites and insects worldwide. We evaluated its effect on M. usitatus when predators (N. barkeri) or insecticides (Spinetoram) were applied in the fields. Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes consumed 80% of M. usitatus prey offered within 6 h, and predation showed Type III functional response with prey density. The maximum consumption of N. barkeri was 27.29 ± 1.02 individuals per d per arena (1.5 cm diameter), while the optimal prey density for the predatory mite was 10.35 ± 0.68 individuals per d per arena (1.5 cm diameter). The developmental duration of N. barkeri fed with M. usitatus was significantly shorter than those fed with the dried fruit mite, Carpoglyphus lactis (L.) (Acari: Astigmata). In field trials, the efficiency of N. barkeri against M. usitatus was not significantly different from that of applications of the insecticide spinetoram. Biodiversity of other insects in treated fields was assessed, and there were 21 insect species in garden plots treated with N. barkeri releases. The total abundance (N), Shannon’s diversity index (H), Pielou’s evenness index (J) and Simpson’s diversity index (D) of the garden plots treated with predatory mites were all significantly higher than that in the garden plots treated with spinetoram, where we found no species of predators or parasitoids and 7 herbivores. Our results show that N. barkeri is a potential means to control M. usitatus while preserving arthropod diversity at the level of treated gardens.

Body size predicts ontogenetic nitrogen stable-isotope (δ15N) variation, but has little relationship with trophic level in ectotherm vertebrate predators

Large predators have disproportionate effects on their underlying food webs. Thus, appropriately assigning trophic positions has important conservation implications both for the predators themselves and for their prey. Large-bodied predators are often referred to as apex predators, implying that they are many trophic levels above primary producers. However, theoretical considerations predict both higher and lower trophic position with increasing body size. Nitrogen stable isotope values (δ15N) are increasingly replacing stomach contents or behavioral observations to assess trophic position and it is often assumed that ontogenetic dietary shifts result in higher trophic positions. Intraspecific studies based on δ15N values found a positive relationship between size and inferred trophic position. Here, we use datasets of predatory vertebrate ectotherms (crocodilians, turtles, lizards and fishes) to show that, although there are positive intraspecific relationships between size and δ15N values, relationships between stomach-content-based trophic level (TPdiet) and size are undetectable or negative. As there is usually no single value for 15N trophic discrimination factor (TDF) applicable to a predator species or its prey, estimates of trophic position based on δ15N in ectotherm vertebrates with large size ranges, may be inaccurate and biased. We urge a reconsideration of the sole use of δ15N values to assess trophic position and encourage the combined use of isotopes and stomach contents to assess diet and trophic level.

On Stability Properties In Prey-Prodator Model With General Incidence

In this paper we consider a prey-predator systems that the susceptibleand infected prey population are predated by predator species .Also we discuss different models of prey-predator systems With general incidence H ( S,I)The aim of this paper is to study the dynamic of prey-predator model by different techniques with a generalized incidence .

A Charismatic Hyena: Insights for Human-Wildlife Interaction in Shared Urban Environments

As human-wildlife interactions become more common in an increasingly urbanized world, widespread encroachment on habitat can exacerbate conflicts between indigenous fauna and the populations of cities and towns. Conservation strategies seeking to create empathy and harmony between humans and their natural world upon occasion utilize charismatic species to engage the public. Understanding the nature of charisma in nonhuman animals is therefore important for urban bio-diversity preservation programs. By personalizing wildlife, people are able to develop affection and a commitment to the supporting ecosystems and natural assets. This case describes the life and death of a striped hyena that captured the imagination of the city of Modi'in in Israel for 5 years. Notwithstanding legal efforts by a small minority of local citizens to evict the hyena from the town’s municipal boundaries, the overwhelming affection and support for the animal, especially among young people, not only defused the hyena’s detractors but ultimately contributed to the creation of a major national park adjacent to the city. The surprisingly compelling, bottom-up crusade supporting a hyena’s right to remain in her habitat, even after it has become settled by humans, suggests that the personalized framing of fauna and extensive deployment of social media on behalf of an individual animal can contribute to effective conservation efforts. While anthropomorphizing wildlife is often discouraged by zoologists and rangers, the tactical justification emerges as one of many lessons from the experience. The individualizing of species that “gives them a face” can help communities overcome negative perceptions and fears about large, intimidating predator species.

Using predatory species and entomopathogenic fungi as alternatives to chemical pesticides in green bean field

BackgroundGreen bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fam.: Leguminosae) is a widely consumed grain legume prized for its edible seeds and pods. It is susceptible to infestations with various pests as insects and mites throughout the growing season. In this study, the efficacy of the predatory species, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and the entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), as well as conventional pesticides, Mospilan and Vertimec, were evaluated against the most important pests, mainly the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, infesting the green beans cultivated at two locations Giza and El-Menoufia Governorates in Egypt.ResultsThe findings demonstrate that treatments using C. carnea and M. anisopliae effectively reduced the whitefly population, while pesticide treatments were comparatively less effective. In the Giza plots, at the end of the experiments, the use of both M. anisopliae and C. carnea showed high reductions in whitefly population (85.57 and 84.87%), respectively, while in El-Menoufia, C. carnea (97.74%) was the most effective treatment followed by M. anisopliae (90.32%). Pesticide treatment in this case yielded a reduction rate of (22.76 and 59.67%) in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. However, for spider mite control, P. persimilis proved to be the most effective treatment in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, reducing the spider mite population to 98.44 and 96.14%, respectively. Metarhizium anisopliae treatment also displayed moderate effectiveness, with reduction rates of 75.62 and 75.37% in Giza and El-Menoufia plots, respectively. In comparison, pesticide treatment showed low effectiveness, with reduction rates of only 23.92 and 53.16% in the two locations, respectively.ConclusionApplications of the predator, C. carnea and the EPF, M. anisopliae were highly effective in reducing the population of whitefly, while the predator mite P. persimilis proved to be the most effective for controlling the spider mites. Overall, the study suggests that biocontrol agents, such as the predators and the EPF, can be considered as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides for controlling pests infesting green beans.

Complex Habitats Boost Predator Co-Occurrence, Enhancing Pest Control in Sweet Pepper Greenhouses

Sweet pepper is a crop that benefits from phytosanitary treatments with low environmental impact, especially the successful control of pests through the introduction of biological control agents in greenhouses. However, predators that naturally occur in these surroundings often enter greenhouses. The precise roles of these natural predators and their interactions with the introduced predatory insects and mites are often unknown. This study investigated the relationships between Nesidiocoris tenuis, which is naturally present, and Amblyseius swirskii and Orius laevigatus, which are two species of generalist predators released for the control of multiple pests. This study was conducted for two years on 13 commercial sweet pepper crops in various types of greenhouses (tunnels and traditional greenhouses) in Sicily. The environmental complexity value (ECV) for each site was estimated based on 18 points detected around the site according to the different habitats that occurred at each coordinate. The results showed that the occurrence of N. tenuis in greenhouses, independently of their typology (tunnel or traditional greenhouse), was mainly promoted by the greater diversification of habitats immediately surrounding the pepper crops (in a circular area with a diameter of 500 mt), with an increase in its density during the crop season. Moreover, N. tenuis–O. laevigatus’s co-occurrence in flowers suggested that they were not impacted by each other’s presence and that their co-occurrence had a significant effect on pest reduction, although their co-occurrence was density-dependent. As an intraguild predator, N. tenuis competed with O. laevigatus for Frankliniella occidentalis when many predators were present. In addition, N. tenuis also competed with A. swirskii when they both occurred in flowers at a higher density. This study highlights the importance of pepper plant flowers in promoting a higher occurrence of juvenile forms of N. tenuis within flowers. Amblyseius swirskii colonized the plants in 3 weeks, distributing itself almost uniformly over the leaves with a clear control action against not only Bemisia tabaci but also F. occidentalis when present on the flowers. Thus, this concurrent analysis of several commercial pepper sites within the same production area suggests that, even with similar pest control plans, the diverse variability in the presence of natural enemies must be considered when selecting control strategies for pepper crop pests and that N. tenuis, favored by complex surrounding habitats, contributes actively to pest reduction.

Deterministic vs. stochastic dynamics of a predator–prey system with disease in prey: Impact of fear and supplementary foods

In this study, we delve into the dynamics of a generalist predator–prey system with prevalence of a disease in the prey population and the presence of predator-induced fear. In this intricate ecological web, the fear response triggered by predators influences the birth rate of susceptible prey population and also escalates intra-specific competition among them. In an effort to encapsulate a more realistic scenario, we extend our deterministic model to its stochastic counterpart by introducing environmental white noise that impacts the mortality rates of both prey and predator species. Comprehensive mathematical analyses are performed on both the deterministic and stochastic systems to elucidate their qualitative behaviors. Specifically, we derive conditions under which the stochastic system exhibits a unique global positive solution and explore the potential extinction of species within the ecosystem. To unravel the intricate dynamics numerically, we perform sensitivity of parameters, and construct one- and two-parameter bifurcation diagrams. Our investigations reveal that when the costs of fear surpass specific thresholds and disease incidence is high, both the susceptible and infected prey populations face extinction. Notably, the introduction of supplementary foods can lead to system’s destabilization, potentially pushing it towards a state where only predators can persist. Moreover, we observe that lower intensities of white noise have minimal impact on the system’s dynamics, while higher noise intensities introduce substantial fluctuations and may precipitate the extinction of species within the ecosystem. Furthermore, we elucidate the abundances of prey and predator species within the ecosystem through histogram plots.

Phase synchronization between culture and climate forcing.

Over the history of humankind, cultural innovations have helped improve survival and adaptation to environmental stress. This has led to an overall increase in human population size, which in turn further contributed to cumulative cultural learning. During the Anthropocene, or arguably even earlier, this positive sociodemographic feedback has caused a strong decline in important resources that, coupled with projected future transgression of planetary boundaries, may potentially reverse the long-term trend in population growth. Here, we present a simple consumer/resource model that captures the coupled dynamics of stochastic cultural learning and transmission, population growth and resource depletion in a changing environment. The idealized stochastic mathematical model simulates boom/bust cycles between low-population subsistence, high-density resource exploitation and subsequent population decline. For slow resource recovery time scales and in the absence of climate forcing, the model predicts a long-term global population collapse. Including a simplified periodic climate forcing, we find that cultural innovation and population growth can couple with climatic forcing via nonlinear phase synchronization. We discuss the relevance of this finding in the context of cultural innovation, the anthropological record and long-term future resilience of our own predatory species.

Functional responses of two species of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to eggs and first-instar nymphs of Bactericera Gobica Logniova (Homoptera: Psyllidae).

The goji berry psyllid, Bactericera gobica Logniova (Homoptera: Psyllidae), is one of the most important pests on goji berry plants (Lycium barbarum L.), whose fruits are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and food. However, chemical control is still the predominant control strategy of this pest. Recently, two species of predatory mites, Neoseiulus setarius Ma, Meng & Fan and Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes were found to be associated with B. gobica in China. To assess their predation potential against B. gobica, the functional responses of these two phytoseiid species feeding on different densities (2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 individuals) of B. gobica eggs and 1st instar nymphs were compared at a temperature of 25ºC ± 1º C. Logistic regression analysis revealed that both predatory mite species exhibited type Holling-II functional responses on eggs and 1st instar nymphs of B. gobica, with the predation number increased for both predators as the density of prey increased. Overall, N. setarius consumed more prey compared to N. barkeri across all levels of prey densities. Meanwhile, the highest attack rate (α = 0.0283), the lowest handling time (Th = 1.1324h prey- 1), and the highest estimated maximum predation rate (T/Th = 21.19 prey day- 1) were all observed for N. setarius fed with 1st instar nymphs of B. gobica. These findings suggest that it is worthy considering utilizing N. setarius and N. barkeri as candidate biocontrol agents of B. gobica, with N. setarius appearing to be a more effective predator than N. barkeri.

Proactive cursorial and ambush predation risk avoidance in four African herbivore species.

Most herbivores must balance demands to meet nutritional requirements, maintain stable thermoregulation and avoid predation. Species-specific predator and prey characteristics determine the ability of prey to avoid predation and the ability of predators to maximize hunting success. Using GPS collar data from African wild dogs, lions, impala, tsessebes, wildebeest and zebra in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, we studied proactive predation risk avoidance by herbivores. We considered predator activity level in relation to prey movement, predator and prey habitat selection, and preferential use of areas by prey. We compared herbivore behaviour to lion and wild dog activity patterns and determined the effect of seasonal resource availability and prey body mass on anti-predator behaviour. Herbivore movement patterns were more strongly correlated with lion than wild dog activity. Habitat selection by predators was not activity level dependent and, while prey and predators differed to some extent in their habitat selection, there were also overlaps, probably caused by predators seeking habitats with high prey abundance. Areas favoured by lions were used by herbivores more when lions were less active, whereas wild dog activity level was not correlated with prey use. Prey body mass was not a strong predictor of the strength of proactive predation avoidance behaviour. Herbivores showed stronger anti-predator behaviours during the rainy season when resources were abundant. Reducing movement when top predators are most active and avoiding areas with a high likelihood of predator use during the same periods appear to be common strategies to minimize predation risk. Such valuable insights into predator-prey dynamics are only possible when using similar data from multiple sympatric species of predator and prey, an approach that should become more prevalent given the ongoing integration of technological methods into ecological studies.