Research overview: infanticide and female responses in pumas

In pumas, infanticide by males that have newly established tenure is a significant source of kitten mortality, and it shapes female reproductive timing and space use. This overview surveys research from long-term puma studies documenting infanticide, the circumstances under which incoming or unfamiliar males kill kittens, and how females respond by avoiding males, defending dens, and adjusting mating. It discusses how this dynamic interacts with hunting-induced turnover of resident males in managed populations, potentially elevating infanticide rates. The topic links a behavioural phenomenon to applied conservation concerns about how harvest of adult males can destabilise puma social systems and reduce recruitment.