Hunting by humans affects the navigation of two endangered mammals in Zimbabwe and Brazil

Human activities have significantly altered natural habitats, changed the behavior of many species, and increased animals' perception of predation risk. The Landscape of Fear (LOF) refers to the prey's perception of risk, which leads to behavioral adaptations throughout an animal's lifetime. Animals might choose habitats with lower potential energetic intake and lower perceived risk over those with higher potential energetic intake but higher perceived risk, trading off food quality for safety. Here, we investigate whether the LOF influences two endangered mammal species to opt for habitual safe routes as opposed to more complex cognitive maps as a navigation strategy. Using GIS, primary movement data, and remote sensing, we demonstrated that both species might trade off efficiency for safety in human-dominated landscapes by opting for habitual routes. This means using their LOF to focus on signs of human presence, including hunting. These analytical approaches raise questions about whether animals opt for less demanding navigation strategies to balance their focus between navigation and monitoring for risk under the LOF.