Research overview: predation on neonate ungulates by cats

A survey of how felids exploit the seasonal pulse of newborn ungulates, a period of high vulnerability that can dominate annual recruitment losses. During calving and fawning seasons, abundant, hidden but easily caught neonates become important prey for lions, pumas, bobcats, leopards and lynx, sometimes accounting for a large share of juvenile mortality and influencing prey population growth. This overview synthesizes evidence on neonate predation rates, the hiding and following strategies of prey and how cats locate concealed young, and the demographic consequences for deer, antelope and other ungulates. It connects seasonal prey vulnerability to predator foraging and to prey population dynamics. The topic is important for understanding recruitment limitation in ungulates and the timing of felid predation pressure.