Cougars Use Carcasses to Lure Prey to Hunting Spots

Mountain lions in the Teton Mountain range of Wyoming, USA, have been found to fertilize their hunting grounds with carcasses to attract prey. The nutrients deposited in the soil from mountain lion kills improve plant quality, making them more attractive to ungulates. The study found that each mountain lion created around 482 hotspots of soil with increased nutrients over a nine-year lifespan. The preferred areas for making successful kills were low elevation habitats with steeper slopes, high tree canopies, and close to areas like forest edges, roads, and streams.