Scale-dependent behavioral responses to human development by pumas

This study used fine-scale GPS and accelerometer data from pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains to show that cougars respond to human development at multiple spatial scales, avoiding developed areas in where they place home ranges while adjusting movement and behaviour at finer scales when near houses. The authors revealed that animals tolerate proximity to people only by altering activity timing and energetics, exposing hidden costs of living near development. The work advanced understanding of how a large carnivore behaviourally negotiates the urban edge and helped establish scale as a crucial dimension in studying wildlife responses to the built environment.