Yet another study on how the presence of larger adult males has a moderating effect on the behavior of younger males. This is the case across many species, such as elephants (as shown by Joyce Poole et al). One more argument against trophy hunting.  (Melissa Groo)

“Wildlife managers often prescribe hunting of carnivores to reduce competition with hunters for prey and to minimize conflicts with humans and their property. However, we showed that overall increased human hunting in fact can be associated with increased conflict, especially for males … we caution against the universal use of hunting as a tool for managing conflict with large predators.”

Read full article: Trophy Hunting of Cougars May Increase Cougar-Human Conflict, Study Finds

Photo courtesy of Mark Elbroch.