Full Title: Warming temperatures increase close encounters between two top predator species via changes in spatial behaviour
Animals need to adjust to changing environments to survive, and these changes can affect whole populations and ecosystems. However, it’s not well understood how climate-driven changes in behavior influence interactions between different top predators. To study this, researchers looked at large African predators, one of the few places where these predator groups still exist. They used detailed GPS tracking data from 43 individual animals from three species to see how temperature affects where predators go and how often they come into close contact with each other. They found clear evidence that temperature changes can affect how often different predator species encounter one another. This suggests that climate change could shift how top predators interact by changing their behavior in space and time.
Authors: Kasim Rafiq, Anna C. Nisi, Neil R. Jordan, Krystyna A. Golabek, J. W. McNutt, Alan Wilson, Laura Prugh, Dikatholo Kedikilwe, Briana Abrahms
Journal: Movement Ecology
DOI: 10.1186/s40462-026-00635-z
Photo credit: Marie-Pier Poulin
