Research overview: kill-rate and prey composition from GPS clusters

This overview synthesizes how GPS cluster methods have been applied across felid species to estimate how often cats kill and what they eat, turning location data into quantitative diet and predation-rate metrics. By visiting clusters, identifying remains, and modeling detection probability, researchers reconstruct seasonal and individual variation in kill rates, prey size, and the energetic intake of free-ranging cats. The overview discusses persistent biases, the under-detection of small prey and scavenged carcasses, and the field effort required to ground-truth clusters. Results have informed predator-prey dynamics, livestock-conflict assessments, and the energetic demands of reproduction. The method now anchors much of what is known about felid predation in the wild, complementing scat and stable-isotope dietary approaches.