Data from: Understanding patch departure rules for large carnivores: lion movements support a patch-disturbance hypothesis

We test two hypotheses that could account for patch departure by large mammalian carnivores. One hypothesis is the unsuccessful hunt hypothesis, where carnivores leave an area after an unsuccessful hunt but continue hunting in the same area after a successful hunt. The second hypothesis is the patch disturbance hypothesis, where carnivores depart the area after a successful hunt because of behavioral responses of prey to predator presence. We used GPS-collars to monitor the movements of African lions (Panthera leo) and identified their kill sites to distinguish between these two hypotheses. Lions moved to a different area (>5 km) after 87 percent of the kills, which supports the patch disturbance hypothesis for patch departure behavior of large mammalian carnivores.

本研究旨在验证两类可解释大型哺乳类食肉动物斑块撤离行为的假说。其一为不成功捕猎假说（unsuccessful hunt hypothesis）：食肉动物会在捕猎失败后撤离当前区域，但在捕猎成功后仍会留在同一区域继续狩猎；其二为斑块干扰假说（patch disturbance hypothesis）：食肉动物会在捕猎成功后撤离当前区域，这一行为源于猎物对捕食者存在的行为响应。本研究通过GPS项圈（GPS-collar）监测非洲狮（Panthera leo）的移动轨迹，并识别其捕猎位点，以此区分上述两类假说。研究发现，87%的成功捕猎事件后，狮子会迁移至距离原区域5公里以上的新区域，该结果支持大型哺乳类食肉动物的斑块撤离行为符合斑块干扰假说。