Research overview: prey escape tactics and felid capture success

A survey of the anti-predator escape behaviors prey use once detected or attacked by cats and how they determine the outcome of a hunt. Prey employ rapid acceleration, unpredictable zig-zagging, stotting, seeking refuge in water or rough terrain, and grouping to confuse and evade stalking or pursuing felids, and the effectiveness of these tactics shapes capture success and prey selection. This overview synthesizes evidence on the biomechanics and decision-making of prey escape, the coevolutionary arms race between cheetah pursuit and gazelle maneuverability or lion ambush and ungulate flight, and how escape ability influences which individuals are caught. It connects locomotor performance and behavior to predator-prey outcomes. The topic complements the study of predator hunting by focusing on the prey's side of the encounter.