Quantifying risk and resource use for a large carnivore in an expanding urban-wildland interface

Large carnivores, though globally threatened, are increasingly using developed landscapes. However, most of our knowledge of their ecology is derived from studies in wildland systems; thus, for effective conservation and management, there is a need to understand their behavioural plasticity and risk of mortality in more developed landscapes. We examined cougar Puma concolor foraging ecology and survival in an expanding urban–wildland system in Colorado from 2007 to 2013. For GPS-collared individuals, we related diet (n = 41; isotopic analysis) to age–sex class and fine-scale space use, with regard to levels of habitat development. We also examined how habitat development impacted risk of mortality (n = 49), using hazards models and records of cougar–human conflict. Cougars obtained 63–82% of assimilated biomass from native herbivores, and adult females consistently showed higher use of native herbivores than other age–sex classes. Individuals using the most highly developed areas obtain...